Beauty and the Demon
by iLuVmYeViLpSyChOs
Summary: Maybelle Fell was your average teenage girl in Mystic Falls during the year 1864, that was until she was turned into a vampire. Centuries later, she returns to help her friends, Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Join her as she embarks on a journey that tests friendship, love and loyalty. Damon/OC, Stelena
1. Chapter One: The Arrival

**Chapter One: The Arrival**

* * *

_"Damon Salvatore! This isn't funny!" Belle shouted as she walked around the large house. She stopped and folded her arms._

_ "Belle," a voice surprised her._

_ "Damon!" she snapped at her, whipping around to find the nineteen year old grinning at her._

_ "Happy Birthday, Belle," Damon said, handing her a box. Belle looked at it suspiciously but took it anyway. Opening it up, she pulled out a golden chain attached to a gold heart-shaped locket. _

_ "It's beautiful, Damon," she awed._

_ "Look inside it," he urged her, smiling brightly. Belle nodded and did as he asked. Inside was a black and white picture of Damon and Stefan smiling brightly. Damon gently took the locket and helped Belle hook it around her neck. She turned around in his arms. "So we'll always be together."_

_ "Thank you, Damon," Belle said softly and kissed him lightly on the cheek._

_ "I helped too!" Stefan protested, appearing from his hiding spot around the corner. Belle laughed and gave the twelve year old a kiss on the cheek too._

_ "Thank you both, very much," she laughed._

* * *

Stefan sat down on a quiet bench. Pulling out his journal, he began writing in it. He became so entranced by his journaling that he did not hear someone coming behind him.

"Boo!" Stefan jumped up and faced his attacker.

"Belle?" Stefan laughed, "Belle!"

"Stefan!" the little blonde jumping into his arms, "I missed you!"

"I missed you too," he smiled lightly as he let her go.

"So, where is your Elena?" she asked, smirking at his embarrassed expression, "Don't think that brother dearest didn't tell me about your lovely little girlfriend."

"She's um, she's actually right over there," he looked down at the ground before glancing over at his girlfriend.

"Damon wasn't kidding when he said she could be the bitch's twin," Belle nodded, waving at the very confused Elena.

"She's nothing like Katherine."

"I know. Damon does talk to me. Unlike _another _Salvatore brother I know," she teased. Stefan gave her a guilty smile.

"I'm sorry. I got sidetracked with everything."

"Well, anyway. How does she feel about our dirty little secret?" Belle changed the subject and stopped when she saw Stefan's guilty look.

"Yeah," he said, watching Elena walking towards them.

"Didn't take it well, huh?" she muttered to him before turning to Elena with a smile.

"Hi Elena," Stefan smiled, "This is Belle, an old friend."

"Hi," Elena said and looked at Stefan, "We should go before we're late to History."

"I should go see Damon anyway," Belle shrugged and gave Stefan a kiss on the cheek, "See you later, Stefan. Nice meeting you Elena."

"Bye Belle," Stefan waved back and she disappeared into the crowd.

"Old friend?" Elena asked skeptically.

"I've known her since I was four. Plus, she and Damon sort of have a _thing_ going on," Stefan smiled at Elena's jealous expression, "Nothing to worry about."

"Oh," Elena blushed at her jealous reaction.

* * *

"Hello," Damon smirked as Belle dropped herself into his lap.

"Hello," she said, running a hand through his dark locks, "Where's Zack?"

"He's dead," Damon shrugged and watched Belle's hand run down his chest.

She smirked seductively at him and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Without warning, Damon had Belle against the wall and his lips roughly on hers. She ripped his shirt off, throwing it off to the side. Damon let out a chuckle as he pulled away from her mouth before attaching his lips to her neck. Belle let out a moan as he nipped and kissed her neck while literally tearing her shirt off her.

"I liked that shirt," Belle moaned, her hands roaming his shirtless chest.

"Too bad. It was in the way," he replied before roughly kissing her.

"Damon," Stefan said, walking in the room without looking. "Wow!"

"Stefan," Damon growled out, shielding the shirtless Belle. Stefan covered his eyes with his hand.

"I'm leaving. I'm leaving!" he said before turning around and leaving the room. Damon turned back to Belle but she had disappeared from the wall. Instead, she was sitting on the couch, wearing his shirt.

"Belle," he prowled toward her seductively. He pounced on the couch but only to find Belle had disappeared again.

"Catch me if you can, Damon," she giggled from her spot on the large chest.

"Oh, don't tease me," he moaned but continued smirking lustfully. Suddenly, Damon was in between her legs and held her hands above her with one of his. The other hand was unbuttoning her jeans as he kissed her neck. He purposely brushed against her womanhood with one hand.

"Damon," she moaned but he pulled his hand away.

"Yes, Belle?" he teased. Belle yanked her hands from him and instantly her pants were off and across the room, "Lacy black thong. I like." Damon winked.

"Just shut up and take your pants off, Salvatore," she ordered with a smile.

"As the lady wishes," he said and slowly teased her by taking his sweet time with stripping naked.

She knocked him to the ground and was on top of him. Damon wasted no time in flipping them so he was on top, his hands finding her thong and pulling them off as he kissed Belle. Without warning, he penetrated her. She let out a gasp of pleasure.

"Faster," she moaned out as Damon attacked her neck, "Damon, faster."

"As the lady wishes," he growled into her neck. She began clawing his back and he bit her neck, feeding a bit on her blood. His mouth was drenched in her blood as he kissed her. Belle bit his lip, causing him to bleed.

"Woo!" a voice shouted.

"Not again," Damon groaned and pressed his face into Belle's neck.

"Hey Elena," Belle said with a shameful smile.

"Hey Belle. Damon, please put some clothes on," Stefan said from outside of the room. Elena had both hands covering her eyes but she was still blushing through her hands.

"As soon as I'm done," Damon bit out and began kissing Belle's neck again. Stefan gave him a disappointed look before leading Elena away.

* * *

Elena was sitting on the couch, flipping through her history book as she did homework. Belle quietly walked in and sat down next to her.

"Hello," Elena said, not even looking up.

"I'm sorry you walked in on…..that," Belle said.

"It's fine," Elena smiled, looking up at her. Belle was finally wearing pants but was still in Damon's shirt which was quite big on her petite form.

"Yeah, I'm short and tiny but this is the only shirt I have now since Damon decided to rip apart the one I was wearing," Belle shrugged when she noticed Elena staring.

"How old are you?" Elena asked before she could stop herself but fortunately Belle didn't seem to mind her being nosy.

"I'm 23 but I look 18 don't I?" she laughed, "Stefan and Damon _always _make fun of me for being 5'1" while they're both like 6 feet. That is why I wear like 5 inch heels."

"Actually, Miss Maybelle, you wear high heeled boots," Damon teased from the archway.

"Oh shut up," Belle stuck her tongue out at him.

"Make me," he winked.

"Please do not start that again," Stefan said and sat down next to Elena, "I do not need to see Damon's naked behind again."

"You're just jealous that Elena saw how sexy I am and probably decided she wants me instead," Damon smirked.

"I highly doubt that," Stefan glared at his older brother.

"Hey, Damon. Why don't we go get a bite to eat?" Belle cut in before Damon could speak, "I haven't eaten since I left home."

"We'll be back in a little bit," Damon winked at Elena and Stefan, "If you decided to have a little _fun_, warn me."

"Damon!" Belle snapped and dragged him out the door as he laughed.

* * *

"So why are you here?" Damon asked bluntly as he sipped his scotch.

"Stefan's birthday is in a few days," Belle explained, shoving a fry into her mouth.

"Not just to see me?" he pouted.

"Why would I ever want to see you?" she winked and began running her foot up his leg seductively.

"Because I'm amazing and we have so much fun together," he whispered and leaned forward.

"Hmm, really? I think you should remind me," she said and leaned close enough so that they're noses were almost touching.

"On the rebound already?" an angry voice come from beside their table. Both of them looked up and saw an annoyed blonde glaring at them.

"Hello Caroline," Damon smirked.

"Hi Caroline, I'm Belle," the redhead offered her hand to the blonde but she just stared at it with distain. Belle dropped her hand and glanced to Damon, "You broke her heart, didn't you? You've only been here like 2 months and how many hearts have you broken?"

"Just Caroline's. I've been a good boy," Damon winked.

"I highly doubt that," Belle snorted and glimpsed over at the confused Caroline.

"You two know each other?" she asked.

"Belle is my best friend," Damon shrugged and took a sip from his scotch.

"You mean your only friend," Belle teased.

"You're all I need," Damon flirted. Belle kicked him jokingly and Damon took that as a challenge.

"You two are seriously playing footsie under the table?" Caroline asked, disbelief written all over her face.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Damon said to Caroline, staring at Belle with an amused look. The blonde huffed and stomped away.

"Rude much?" she mock-glared at him.

"Well, I wanted to spend some alone time with my Belle," Damon shrugged and continued their game of footsie.

"Since when do I belong to you?" Belle stuck her tongue out at him.

"Since always," he gave her the smirk that always made girls swoon.

"You know that won't work on me, sweetheart," she smirked back.

"Oh, I know."

"And if I'm your Belle, than you're my Damon," Belle decided and watched as Damon considered it for a moment.

"Deal," he agreed before he was suddenly next to her, "Wanna go have some fun?"

"What kind of fun?" Belle leaned closer to him.

"I was thinking about you….. _naked,_" he stopped and gave her a seductive look. She watched his hand slip under her shirt (well it was technically his shirt, but he was well aware she wouldn't give it back) and felt him trace circles on her stomach.

"Sounds fun," she whispered and leaned even closer until her lips were just centimeters from his. Damon grinned before kissing her deeply.

"Bathroom?" he whispered when they pulled away. Belle just nodded and they snuck into the ladies bathroom.

As soon as they were both in the bathroom, Damon shoved her against the wall. He attached his mouth to her neck, kissing and sucking. She let out a low moan and buried her fingers in his hair. Damon suddenly bit her and began drinking her blood. She moaned his name, he legs becoming weak with pleasure. Picking her up, he never broke the connection between them as he sat her on the counter. When he had drank enough, Damon shoved his lips against hers. Their tongues battled in an act for dominance as he unzipped her pants and pushed her panties away from her womanhood. She let out a gasp when he started to play with her clit. She was already wet which made him smug.

"Oh Damon," she sighed in pleasure and started kissing his neck. Damon smirked as she moaned for him. He slowly put one finger into Belle and slowly took it out.

"Damon," she groaned in his neck, frustrated, "Faster!"

"As you wish," he chuckled before letting out a groan as she bit him. He did as she demanded, this time with two fingers.

"For the love of God!" Caroline yelped and covered her eyes. Belle let out and annoyed groan before pulling away from Damon. She zipped up her pants after fixing her panties and watched Damon lick his finger with a wink at her.

"You can look now, Caroline," Belle said, blushing lightly.

"I never want to see that again," she whined and walked out the door.

"So, you should take me shopping," Belle said as she walked up to Damon seductively.

"Why's that?" he asked, watching as her hand traced down to his pants.

"Because you love me," she answered.

"I still like you better in my shirt," he said before giving her a lust filled kiss.

"I can't walk around in your clothes all the time," she said, tracing patterns on his abdomen.

"Yes you can."

"Damon," she whined.

"Belle," he mocked and smirked when she giggled at him.

"I'll model lingerie!" she sang. Damon seemed to mull it over for a bit before picking her up bridal style and leaving the woman's restroom.

* * *

**Hello, I hope you liked my first chapter of Beauty and the Demon, comments and critics are welcome, no flaming please.**


	2. Chapter Two: Stefan's Birthday Part I

**Chapter Two: 162 Candles (Part 1)**

* * *

Belle and Damon walked into the boardinghouse with tons of bags. The redhead was giggling as she walked through the door, probably laughing at something Damon had said. Stefan looked up from his book, slightly confused on why there were bags everywhere. Belle greeted him with a smile and started up the stairs. Damon diligently followed without acknowledging Stefan.

Stefan shook his head at his brother. It was obvious that Damon and Belle had feelings for each other but neither would admit it to the other. Once, before Katherine had ruined their lives, Damon admitted to him that he was in love with Belle. They had never spoken of it again, not for the lack of trying on Stefan's part, but as soon as Katherine appeared, it was like he didn't remember Belle existed. Damon ended up crawling back to Belle after Katherine had died; he had to earn her forgiveness but eventually they recoiled. He knew Belle wasn't completely over it because whenever Katherine was mentioned, a hurt look passed across her face.

"Stefan!" Belle shouted from upstairs, interrupting his musing.

"Belle?" he answered and walked up the stairs towards Damon's room.

"I bought you a present!" she yelled happily.

"You mean _I _bought him a present," Damon interjected.

"No! I bought it!" she argued.

"With _my _money!" Damon pointed out; Stefan could practically hear the smirk in his voice. The younger Salvatore stood in the doorway of his brother's room, watching them argue.

"It was my idea!"

"It was my money."

"I'm still taking credit!" Belle announced, sticking her tongue out at him. Damon smirked.

"Go ahead," Damon shrugged.

"Stefan," she smiled, and handed him a small bag.

"What's this for?" he asked, taking it.

"Your birthday is tomorrow," Belle smiled and kissed his cheek. Stefan grinned back at her before opening up the bag. Inside was a black journal, on the first page, there was a note.

_Stefan,_

_Happy Birthday! I wanted to say I love you, and you're my favorite Salvatore! Shhh don't tell Damon. I hope you have the best birthday yet. Keep on writing in your journals; you know that I need my blackmail ;)._

_With Love,_

_Belle_

"Thanks, Belle," he said and gave her a hug.

"You're welcome," she said before turning back to Damon who was smirking as he watched Belle.

"We should go celebrate," he said and Belle hooked her arms with the brothers.

* * *

As they entered the Grille, Stefan spotted Bonnie and Elena talking to each other. Belle laid her head on his shoulder, letting go of Damon's arm. The raven-haired man just held her hand, looking at Elena with a slight glare. No one is allowed to hurt his brother but him.

"Stef, want to get a drink?" Belle asked softly, not moving her head from his shoulder.

"Yeah," he sighed. Elena and Bonnie glanced at them; Elena looked annoyed at how close Belle and Stefan were while Bonnie looked confused. The three sat quietly at the bar, Belle and Stefan drinking beer while Damon got his usual scotch. Belle decided to listen in on Elena and Bonnie's conversation.

_"I highly doubt Stefan would be sleeping with an old friend right after you two broke up," Bonnie scoffed. Elena sighed in uncertainty._

_"You see them together right? She's all over him," Elena pointed out but Bonnie gave a snort of laughter._

_"Caroline walked in on her and _Damon_ earlier. Not her and Stefan. If anyone is together, it's her and Damon," the darker skinned girl said._

_"Maybe she's like Katherine," Elena shrugged and began playing with the straw in her coke._

_"I doubt it, Elena."_

"Eavesdropping is rude," Damon whispered in her ear. Belle gave him a sneaky smile before kissing him on the lips.

"I'll be right back," she whispered back before she skipped over to Elena and Bonnie, "Hi Elena."

"Hello," Elena muttered, refusing to look at the short redhead.

"You know, Stefan's like a little brother to me," Belle said, giving her a small glare.

"And why are you telling me this?" Elena snapped with jealousy and anger.

"Because, sweetheart," she whispered menacingly as she leaned down to Elena, "You hurt him. And I don't let my little brother get hurt. So get off your prissy little ass and talk to him or leave."

"You can't make me," Elena stood up to her.

"Belle," Damon said as he walked up behind her. Belle didn't move from her glaring contest with Elena.

"Elena. Maybe we should go," Bonnie offered. Elena glanced at Bonnie before agreeing. Damon pulled Belle to him and watched Elena leave with Bonnie.

* * *

"Elena," Stefan called but she only looked back, didn't stop. Stefan quickly caught up with her and grabbed her arm, "Elena, please."

"What do you want, Stefan?" Elena sighed.

"I'm sorry, for Belle. She's just very protective of me and Damon," Stefan explained and watched as Elena nodded and sighed in defeat.

"Okay."

"I'm sorry," Stefan said again.

* * *

"He's upset with you," Damon told the brown-eyed girl. She shrugged as if she didn't care.

"She was being a prissy little bitch. I wanted to put her in her place."

"She was jealous," Damon laughed.

"Well she is not allowed to be jealous. She broke up with him," Belle pointed out.

"She wasn't ready to deal with everything, Belle. I appreciate you trying to protect me but she's not Katherine," Stefan said, coming up behind her.

"Ugg! You two are ganging up on me," she whined. Damon snorted while Stefan threw his arm around her.

"It's because we love you," Stefan said and make a mocking grimace as she kissed his cheek.

"Speak for yourself, brother," Damon teased but gave Belle's pouting lips a kiss.

"I see how it is," she said and shoved him away from her before giving Stefan a long hug.

"I'm gonna go home, now," Stefan said to them.

"No! Stay!" Belle whined.

"Yes! Leave!" Damon mocked.

"Damon, shut up," she snapped in annoyance.

"Make me," he teased. Stefan took this queue to leave, knowing this was either going to turn into a fight or a make out session.

"Okay," she whispered seductively before leaning forward. Just as they were about to kiss, Belle punched him in the gut.

"Oww. Belle!" he moaned but she didn't care and took a sip of his scotch, "You are so paying for that later, Miss Maybelle."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Salvatore," she mused, continuing to drink his scotch. Damon grabbed his drink out of her hands.

"Want to go play some pool?" he asked after a moment, glancing at the vacant table. Belle nodded.

"Get ready to lose," Belle grabbed a pool stick. Damon smirked before racking it up. She broke it easily before handing the pool stick to him. He stole a kiss before easily getting a few balls in.

"I think it's you who's going to lose," he teased and gave her a gentle nudge. She gently hip checked him before lining up her shot. Just as she tried to hit the cue ball, Damon hip checked her and she missed it.

"Damn you, Damon Salvatore!" she yelled and shoved him. He pulled her in and took the stick from her when she tried to jab him with it.

"Calm down, beautiful," he teased and buried his face in her hair.

"No. You cheat!" she pouted but didn't move. He took a deep breath and smelled the strawberry shampoo of her hair.

"It's still my turn," he winked at her before taking his shot and easily got a few more balls in, "You still missed."

"Your fault I missed," she huffed and took the stick when he handed it to her.

"It's not my fault you can't play pool," he laughed. She hip checked him again but managed to get a few of her shots in.

* * *

Stefan had fallen asleep in a chair, a book open in his lap. An unnatural breeze startled him. He woke up and glanced around but saw nothing. It happened again and he stood up.

"Damon?" he called, "Belle?"

No one answered so he walked out of the living room into the foyer. He looked around and heard another whoosh of air and was shoved to the ground. He flipped himself over and found a hissing vampire on top of him.

"Lexi?" he asked. She laughed and helped him up, "What are you doing here?"

"How could you ask that?" she looked shocked, "Happy Birthday."

* * *

"So Belle's here too?" she asked with a smile.

"Yep," he nodded as he laid down on his bed.

"Where is she?" Lexi wanted to know where her favorite little redheaded vampire was.

"With Damon somewhere while he's probably inflicting misery," he shrugged.

"Still hung up on him, huh?" she rolled her eyes, "She needs to find a nice sweet man. Not some evil manipulative bitch."

"Tell her that, not me," Stefan laughed.

"Tell who what?" Belle's voice came from Stefan's doorway.

"Belle!" Lexi squealed and attacked Belle with a hug.

"Hey Lex," she laughed and returned the hug.

"And tell you to stop being so hung up on Damon and find a nice boy," Lexi shrugged and smirked when Belle scrunched up her nose.

"I'm not hung up on Damon," she disagreed before pointing to her ear and then out the door, signaling that Damon could hear them.

"To tell Damon to stop being hung up on you," Stefan offered with a grin. There was a thud, Damon must have dropped something.

"I know! He's so in love with me," Belle went along with them, stifling a giggle.

"It must be annoying!" Lexi said dramatically. Both the girls were grinning widely as Stefan was shaking his head in amusement, "Damon being in love with you."

"I am not in love with Belle!" Damon shouted from his room.

"It's rude to eavesdrop!" Belle shouted back as Lexi burst into laughter. She turned to Lexi and offered to take her site-seeing in one of the cars with glass tinted windows in the Salvatore's garage.

Damon appeared in Stefan's room when the girls left. He was giving his brother an unreadable look. The younger brother continued shifting through his papers on the cluttered desk.

"Do you need something, Damon?" he asked, not looking up at all. Damon didn't answer at first, just stood there.

"Did you tell her?" he asked slowly.

"Tell her what?" Stefan asked, though he had a theory it was about the female vampires teasing him about love.

"Did you tell her I was in love with her?" Damon said. It was strange seeing Damon look so childlike and guilty. Stefan was in slight shock at his brother looking so small.

"Why would I do that?" he finally stopped to look up at him, "I thought you weren't in love with her."

"Stefan," he mumbled, and his little brother knew that he was remembering that night all those years ago.

* * *

_Damon stood there, laughing as he helped Belle into her carriage. He gave her a light kiss on her cheek. Belle rolled her eyes before bidding him goodbye. He closed the carriage door and waved to her as she rode away. Stefan was standing in the foyer, waiting for Damon to come in._

_"Stef? Come with me for a moment," his twenty-one year old brother said, grabbing Stefan's arm and dragging him to his room._

_"Is something upsetting you, brother?" Stefan asked as the raven-haired boy sat down on his bed._

_"I am not sure how I feel about it," he said with a sigh._

_"What is it, Damon?"_

_"I think I am in love with Belle," he let it out before laying down on his bed._

_"You think?" Stefan snorted, "Everyone knows you are."_

_"Does Belle?"_

_"No, she is too busy hiding the fact that she is in love with you too," he shrugged and watched as Damon looked confused._

_"Do not tell anyone," Damon said._

_"I will not tell," Stefan promised._

* * *

"I wasn't aware you still felt that way about her," Stefan said after a moment. Damon shrugged, "You didn't seem to care when Katherine arrived."

"Katherine," Damon sighed and looked at his little brother, "Katherine compelled me to forget how I feel about Belle."

"So you're in love with two women?" he asked after a moment.

"Just because I shared that with you, Stefan, doesn't mean we're going to be best buddies," Damon snapped, closing up again.

This had happened several times before, over the last 100 years or so. Damon would occasionally go back to being how he remembered his brother before Katherine. As soon as he realized he was opening up, he would shut down again. Stefan didn't mind but he was also weary of what his brother told him. He never knew if Damon would tell him something that wasn't true.

"I won't tell her, Damon. I stand by my promises," Stefan assured him before grabbing his journal and beginning to write in it.

"I'll rip your heart out if you do," Damon threatened but his little brother knew it was an empty threat so he ignored it all the same.

* * *

"So, want to explain to me what's going on with you and Damon?" Lexi asked as they sat in the car, driving past Mystic Grill.

"Same old, same old," Belle shrugged.

"So basically you two are having sex while you're in love with him," the blonde said with a sarcastic smirk.

"Again, same old same old," Belle huffed, Lexi's smirk fell a bit.

"Maybe you should tell him," she said with hopeful eyes. Belle shook her head, "Why not?"

"Because he doesn't love me that way."

"You never know," she sang, "Its Damon. He doesn't show his feelings to anyone….well except you."

"I do know. Katherine is who he loves," Belle answered.

"Sure," Lexi rolled her eyes.

"How's your boy toy?" she asked after a tense moment.

"He's good, but he wanted to stay home to give me a day with my best buddy," the vampires laughed, "And of course, see my favorite fiery redhead."

"Who's that?" Belle glanced at her with mocking wide eyes.

"This cute little redhead who's one of my best friends and is an older sister to Stefan," she described with a smirk. Belle laughed and started driving towards Elena's house.

"Want to meet _Elena_," she smirked. Lexi smiled but lifted up Belle's buzzing phone. _Damon the Sexy Vamp_ was calling her.

"Hello Damon the Sexy Vamp," Lexi answered even though Belle held her hand out for the phone.

_"Lexi," his husky voice sounded pleased._

"Want to talk to your girlfriend?" Lexi teased. Damon let out a chuckle.

_"Yes, I would like to talk to Belle," he said, the smirk was practically heard._

"So you admit she's your girlfriend?" she asked, smirking brightly.

_"Just give her the phone," Damon said after a moment._

"Not until you admit it."

_"Sure. Whatever," Damon sighed and Belle could tell he was rolling his eyes._

"Say 'Belle is my girlfriend'," Lexi decided to milk it, to both Belle and Damon's annoyance.

_"Why?"_

"Because you have to admit it and then I'll give her the phone," she said simply. Damon audibly sighed.

_"I just wanted to tell her that there is a party going on tonight and she should come. Oh and Stefan wants you two home now," Damon quipped before hanging up._

"Lexi," Belle whined, "He's going to be an annoyed little brat, now."

"Not my fault he won't just man up and admit he loves you," she rolled her eyes.

"Lexi. I love you dearly but for once in your life, shut up and stay out of my business," Belle said in the kindest voice she could muster as she drove back toward the boardinghouse.

* * *

**Hello, I hope you liked my second chapter of Beauty and the Demon, comments and critics are welcome, no flaming please.**


	3. Chapter Three: Stefan's Birthday Part II

**Chapter Three: 162 Candles (Part 2)**

* * *

"Coming to the party?" Damon whispered in Belle's ear as she stared at two dresses laid out on his bed.

"Lexi wants me to come and it's Stefan's b-day," she explained and felt his hands holding her waist.

"You're not coming for me?" he asked, pouting.

"Why would I do a thing like that?" she teased and let out a little gasp as Damon nipped at her neck.

"Because I want you to come with me," he muttered into her neck.

"I'll think about it," she said, her head rolling back so he had better access to her neck. He smirked into her neck.

"We have some time before the party," he whispered seductively while his hands roamed over her body.

"Oh no. I am helping her get ready for the party and you are leaving," Lexi's annoyed voice came from Damon's doorway.

"This is my room," Damon rolled his eyes. Belle turned around in Damon's arms and smiled softly at him.

"Just do as she tells you," Belle whispered to him before he leaned down to kiss her.

"But I don't want to," Damon mumbled as he pulled back slightly from her.

"We can have fun later," Belle winked at him with a seductive smile. Damon kissed her again but more lustfully this time.

"Out," Lexi announced and watched as Damon pulled himself away from Belle before leaving.

"Which one?" Belle asked before Lexi could open her mouth. She smirked before pointing to the navy blue mid-thigh length dress with long sleeves and a brown braided belt.

"I'm going to straighten your hair," Lexi announced when Belle finished changing. She started to put on her knee-high brown boots as the blonde played with her curly red-hair.

"Why? I like my hair curly," Belle pouted but followed Lexi towards the straightener. As Lexi straightened her hair, she talked to her about Stefan and Elena.

"I think I'm going to talk to her," the blonde announced but Belle scoffed, "Don't think it's a good idea?"

"I just don't think she's good for Stefan," she shrugged.

"Belle," Lexi rolled her eyes, "You're just afraid he's going to get hurt by Elena like he got hurt by Katherine. I know you're protective of him, but he's a big boy; he can take care of himself."

"She's a prissy little bitch," she disagreed.

"You only see what you want to see," Lexi said, finishing with one side of Belle's hair, "Give her a chance and she might surprise you."

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed.

* * *

"Hello, beautiful," Damon smirked as Belle appeared next to him at the bar. She just grabbed his scotch before downing it.

"Lexi is driving me crazy," she answered and dropped the glass on her table. A kind bartender refilled it for Damon.

"How?"

"She has demanded that I be nice to Elena," she shrugged.

"And?" Damon asked, knowing her well enough to see she had something else on her mind.

"It's nothing, Damon," she mumbled and took another long drink of the scotch. Damon didn't press the issue, just handed his scotch to her.

"Another one for the pretty lady," Damon called to the bartender, "And two shots of tequila."

"Thanks," she said, grateful for the alcohol. She downed the scotch and took her shot before Damon smirked at her.

"Slow down there Belle," he laughed. Belle shot him a dirty look before ordering a beer and heading over towards Lexi and Stefan at the pool table.

"Hey Belle," Stefan greeted before shooting at the little yellow one ball. She raised her glass in a greeting and leaned on the table.

"Cranky?" Lexi asked, looking at the redhead's grouchy face.

"I haven't fed today," she whined before looking around at the humans.

"Belle," Stefan warned.

"Don't worry, Stef. I wasn't planning on eating any of them," she scoffed, "I'll just snatch, drink, erase."

"Lexi has some bags in the car," he told her.

"But fresher is better," Belle pouted mockingly but did as Stefan told her. A few minutes later, she was back and seemed a bit less grumpy.

"I'm going to go get some shots," Lexi said as Belle came back.

"Wanna play a round?" Stefan asked the redhead who nodded. They continued playing but Belle noticed he wasn't paying attention to the game but was listening into a conversation between Lexi and Elena.

"Don't eavesdrop," Belle teased him but was doing the exact same thing. After Lexi and Elena finished their talk, the blonde vampire greeted her two friends.

"Sorry, I drank your shots," she mock apologized and went to take the pool stick from Stefan.

"Thank you," he told her and gave her a grateful smile.

"You weren't supposed to be listening," she grinned and saw the grateful look on his face, "I was feeling epic, whatever."

"Saved my ass, huh?" Belle joked and Lexi stuck her tongue out.

"I explained to her that you're a sweetheart but if someone hurts your boys, you go all mama bear," Lexi teased, "She understands."

Lexi disappeared after the next game to get a drink. Belle was helping Stefan rack up the balls when Elena grabbed the pool stick and smiled at Stefan.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey, you came," Stefan leaned on the pool table.

"I couldn't miss your hundredth and….whatever birthday," Elena grinned at him and he smiled back.

"And that is my cue to leave," Belle said and grabbed her jacket. She headed toward Damon, who was still sitting at the bar.

"Hey, beautiful," he flirted as she sat next to him.

"Hey," she smiled and stole his drink.

"Why must you always steal mine?" he groaned and tried to get the glass back but she evaded him and went to go dance. Damon watched her with an amused smirk.

"All right, the shots are a bribe," Lexi said as she pasted a few to Damon, "I need you to answer a question. What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?"

"Have you tried The Brittle? It wins awards," he took a shot and gave her a look that clearly stated 'scram'.

"Cut the crap," she snapped at him.

"Okay," he sighed, "I have a diabolical master plan."

"What is it?" she leaned in closer.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be very diabolical, now would it?" he sneered and went back to watching Belle dance with a few of Elena's guy friends. Just as Lexi was about to retort, Sheriff Forbes walked up to them and injected Lexi with vervain.

"What are you doing?" Damon hissed in mock shock.

"Thank you for the vervain. Now if you could excuse me," the blonde woman said shortly and dragged the half conscious vampire away.

"What's going on?" Belle asked frantically, having rushed over when she saw Lexi being taken away.

"I don't know," Damon shrugged before walking away. Belle stands there, shocked.

* * *

Outside, the officers and Sheriff Forbes are taking Lexi to the police car but she wakes up and throws the officers off her. The sheriff begins shooting her with wooden bullets but Lexi was too strong. Out of nowhere, Damon appears and stakes the blonde vampire.

"Why?" she whispers, horrified.

"It's all part of the plan," he whispers back and Lexi turns gray and dies. Damon turns to the sheriff, "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright, thank you," she says before nodding to the police car, "Get her in the car."

"Okay," he nodded.

Unbeknowst to them, Stefan, Elena and Belle were watching the scene from an alleyway. Belle was silently crying as Stefan was seething. The brunette human had no clue on how to help them so she just hugged Belle. As soon as Damon and Sheriff Forbes had driven away, Stefan stormed off with Elena following and pulling Belle with her.

"Stefan!" Elena shouted and tried to catch up to her ex-boyfriend.

"He killed her! He killed Zach! He killed Tanner! He turned Vicki!" Stefan ranted before turning to look at the girls, "I have to kill him!"

"No!" Elena shouted, "You can't do that!"

"Why are you trying to save him? Elena, he's never going to change! Don't you see that!" Stefan turned his rage onto her. Belle sniffed and disappeared from sight.

"I'm not trying to save him, I'm trying to save you! You have no idea what this will do to you! Please Stefan," she begged.

"Everywhere I've been, pain and death follow, Damon follows me," he ignored her, "No more.

"Stefan please," she begged again, Please just-just talk to me. Let me be there for you. Talk to me!"

"No," he refused, "You were right to stay away from me." He just walked off, leaving Elena standing there in shock and horror.

* * *

"Hey Belle," Damon grinned at the redhead as he poured himself a scotch. She ignored him and stormed up the stairs, "Long night?"

Her only response was to slam his bedroom door shut. Damon rolled his eyes before hearing Stefan arrive.

"Told you I'd take care of it," he said to his little brother smugly. Stefan attacked him and the two fight until Stefan pins him against the wall.

"Come on, I did this for you. To get them off our trail," Damon said.

"You never do anything for anyone but yourself," Stefan growled and staked his brother. Damon gasped in shock and pain.

"You missed!"

"No," Stefan told him, "You saved my life. I'm sparing yours. We're even. And now we're done."

Stefan walked away as Damon slumped to the floor. Groaning, the raven-haired vampire pulled out the stake from his stomach. Suddenly, practically every article of clothing he owned was thrown at him. Damon sat up to see Belle walking back up the stairs, refusing to look at him.

"Belle?" he called to her but she ignored him, "Come on, Belle! I was getting the council off our back!"

"Stefan!" she yelled, "Can we get the locks changed?"

"Sure," he answered and they were both out of Damon's view.

* * *

**Hello, I hope you liked my third chapter of Beauty and the Demon, comments and critics are welcome, no flaming please.**


	4. Chapter Four: History Repeating

**Chapter Four: History Repeating**

* * *

Later that night, when Damon tried to get into his bedroom, he found it locked. Belle refused to let him in, choosing to ignore his existence. Even the next few days, she still pretended he wasn't there. Stefan seemed to get a kick out of it, until Damon threatened to rip his heart out if he laughed one more time.

"Come on, Belle," he whined as Stefan left for school after mocking his brother, "You can't stay mad at me forever."

"I can try," she answered him for the first time in three days.

"She speaks!" Damon joked but Belle gave him a death glare.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have things to do," she grabbed his coffee out of his hands before walking away.

"Where are you going?" he asked but she didn't stop.

"Away from you," she called before disappearing out the door of the boarding house.

* * *

Stefan had picked her up from the town library and had taken her to Elena's house. The brunette had opened the door but chose to talk to them outside.

"Hey. Thanks for coming. I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important," Elena told them.

"I know that," Stefan sighed and sat down on the bench.

"He threatened her," Elena said, looking scared for her friend.

"What would Damon want with Bonnie?" Belle thought out loud and looked at Elena to see if there was more of an explanation.

"She has this necklace. Caroline got it from Damon,and she gave it to Bonnie,and now Damon wants it back. He's tormenting her," the human girl offered.

"Damon's throwing a hissy fit over a necklace?" Belle scoffed.

"It's not just any has to do with Bonnie's belonged to one of her ancestors who lived here during the Civil War. When you and Damon lived here," Elena told her and Stefan.

"Her name was Emily. She was Katherine's handmaid and a witch," Stefan explained.

"You know? About Bonnie?" Elena gasped and sat next to Stefan on the bench. Belle chose to lean against the pillar.

"The first night that you invited me over for dinner. I made the connection," he nodded. Elena looked away and stared at the ground.

"And now Damon knows and for some reason, he wants that necklace," Belle added.

"What does it look like?" Stefan asked.

"It's...an antique iron setting with a.." Elena began.

"With an amber crystal," Stefan finished for her, "I know it. It belonged to Katherine. Emily gave it to her, which means that..."

"What?" Elena asked.

"I don't know, but we're gonna find it out. Let me talk to Damon," Stefan sighed and got up. He glanced at Belle, "Stay here, just in case."

"Will he tell you?" Elena questioned before walking toward her house.

"I'll get it out of him," Stefan nodded before disappearing from sight.

"Would you like to come in?" Elena asked Belle. The vampiress nodded and followed her into the house, "We're having a girls night if you would like to join?"

"I appreciate the offer, Elena, but I'm not feeling a girls night so I'll hang in your room if you don't mind," Belle offered her a grateful smile.

"I'm sorry," she said after a moment. Belle sent her a questioning look, "Lexi was your friend too. And I know, it must be hard for you that Damon killed her. He's your best friend."

"Thank you," she said in a small voice before heading to Elena's room. Before long, she was asleep and did not wake up until there was shouting and loud banging on the bathroom door.

"What's going on?" Belle rushed out to see Caroline and Elena staring at Bonnie in shock.

"I'm fine. Everything is fine, Belle," Bonnie said before walking down the stairs. Elena and Caroline were confused; Bonnie was not acting like herself, "I must go."

"If she's going, I'm going," Caroline frowned.

"None of you can leave," Belle stated and followed Bonnie down the stairs, standing in front of the door.

"Thank you for having me. I'll take it from here," Bonnie stared at the vampire as if waiting for her to move.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"Back to where it all began," the dark-skinned witch said as-a-matter-of-factly, "Please step aside, Maybelle."

"Emily?" Belle gasped in realization. Before she could utter another word, Bonnie/Emily threw her into the wall with her powers.

"Wait!" Elena shouted, heading after her.

"I will not let him have it," Bonnie assured her and the door was closed. Elena and Caroline attempted to open it but it was stuck.

"What's happening?" Caroline freaked out. Belle groaned from her spot on the floor, clutching her head.

"Stupid witch," she muttered, "She spelled the door shut."

"What?!" Caroline shrieked and continued to pull at the door. Suddenly, the door flung open and Jeremy was standing there.

"What the hell?" he asked as Caroline rushed past him.

"I'm out of here!" the blonde shouted. Jeremy shrugged and walked up the stairs.

"Elena, call Stefan. I'll go to the church," Belle told her and disappeared.

* * *

"Belle!" Damon called to her from where he was stuck to a tree by a thick branch. Belle snorted at his predicament but helped him down, "It hurts. This is why I feed on people."

"Stefan," Bonnie/Emily greeted as the youngest Salvatore arrived with Elena in toe.

"Hello Emily," he nodded.

"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil," Bonnie/Emily stated.

"What do you mean evil?" Belle asked, confused.

"Emily. I swear to God I'll make you regret this," Damon threatened taking a few steps forward but Belle grabbed his arm.

"I won't let you unleash them into this world," the witch shouted at him.

"Them? What part of the story did you leave out, Damon?" Stefan turned to his brother.

"What does it matter?" he shrugged, still glaring at Bonnie/Emily.

"Emily, tell me what you did," Belle said, still gripping Damon's arm.

"To save her, I had to save them," she said simply.

"You saved everyone in the church?" Stefan looked appalled.

"With one, comes all," she answered.

"I don't care about them," Damon shouted, "I just want Katherine."

"I knew I shouldn't have believed a single word that comes out of your mouth. This isn't about love, is it? This is about revenge," Stefan hissed.

"The two aren't mutually exclusive," Damon sneered.

"Damon, you can't do this," Belle told him.

"Why not? They killed 27 people, and they called it a war battle. They deserve whatever they get," he said.

"27 Vampires, Damon. They were vampires. You can't just bring them back," Stefan yelled at him.

"This town deserves this."

"You're blaming innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago." Belle hissed.

"There is nothing innocent about these people, and don't think for a second it won't happen again," Damon said before turning to Bonnie/Emily, " They already know too much, and they'll burn your little grandwitch right next to us when they find out. Trust me."

"Things are different now," Bonnie/Emily disagreed.

"Don't do this," Damon begged.

" I can't free them. I won't," Bonnie/Emily said before she threw the crystal in the air, "Incendia!"

"No! No! Please!" Damon shouted and tried to get to Bonnie/Emily but he was too late. The crystal was shattered into a thousand pieces. Damon growled in anger and attacked Bonnie. He viciously bit her before Belle could yank him off.

"Bonnie!" Elena screamed as her friend dropped to the ground. Belle held Damon against a tree, threatening him.

"She's alive, but barely. I can save her," Stefan announced and bit his wrist. He fed Bonnie his blood and the wound began to heal.

"Her neck. It's healing," Elena said in amazement.

"Are you calm now?" Belle asked Damon. He nodded before she let go of him.

"Katherine never compelled me. I knew everything. Every step of the way. It was real for me. I'll leave now," Damon said to her before sitting against the tree. Belle just nodded but didn't say a word.

"I'm still angry with you, Damon," Belle sighed but sat down next to him, "But I'll stay with you until you're ready to go back."

"Thanks," he whispered and they sat in silence. Pulling her locket out of his jean pocket, he gently placed it in her hand.

* * *

**Hope you liked my fourth chapter of Beauty and the Demon. Reviews and critics are welcome, flames are not**


	5. Chapter Five: Turning Point

**Chapter Five: The Turning Point**

* * *

Stefan and Belle were sitting on the couch as Damon walked around the living room.

"So any ideas where you'll go?" Belle asked.

"I don't know. London, maybe? See some friends," he shrugged.

"You don't have any friends, Damon," Stefan deadpanned.

"You're right Stefan. I only have you and Belle. So, where we going?" he asked, looking hopeful at the two of them.

"_We_ are not going anywhere. I'm gonna live my life as far away from you as possible," his brother scoffed.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Belle said softly. Damon nodded at her sadly.

"But we're a team! We could travel the world together. We can try out for 'The Amazing Race'!" Damon turned to Stefan.

"That's funny!" Stefan replied sarcastically, "Seriously, where are you going because we are not staying in this town."

The doorbell rang and Belle got up to get it. She answered the door to see Sheriff Forbes. She smiled at her grimly.

"I'm here to see Damon," she said.

"Ah sure, OK," Belle nodded, confused on why the vampire-hating sheriff wanted to see Damon.

"Sheriff, what a surprise!" Damon said when he appeared behind Belle.

"Sorry to bother you but we need to talk," Liz told him and looked at Belle.

"Come in," Damon nodded, looking at Belle as he silently asked her to give them privacy. She gave him a tight smile before going to seat with Stefan.

"I hope you understand the secrecy. Stefan doesn't know about this yet and I'd like to keep it that way," Damon said as he led her to the backyard.

"Of course, kids are too young to be brought into this," Sheriff Forbes agreed.

"So, what you need?" he asked.

"There's been another attack. A female victim, throat tore out, completely drained of blood. It's the same pattern," she explained.

"I'm sorry I don't understand. I thought we solved that problem when…. I staked the blond one," he whispered and glanced back at the house.

"I think that she must have turned someone, or multiple someones. I don't know. The story for the town is another animal attack but I'm not sure how long we can keep lying to them. The council is in an uproar. We thought we were passed this," she sighed.

"So, what do we do?"

"You're the only one who has ever taken on a vampire. We were hoping you could tell us," she glanced at him helplessly.

"Thank you for stopping by," he nodded and walked her to the door.

"Let me know what you come up with," Sheriff said.

"Absolutely," he answered before she left. Suddenly Stefan was shoving him against the wall as Belle glared at him.

"What is wrong with you? You killed somebody?" he growled.

"Get off of me!" Damon yelled, "A) Don't touch me, B) If I had, I would not be so obvious about it, C) There is another vampire in town."

"That's impossible," Belle gasped.

"Obviously not," Damon rolled his eyes and pushed Stefan off him.

"Who could it be?" Stefan wondered.

"Ah, what do we care? We're leaving anyway, right?" Damon pointed out.

"No, I can't leave now and you know that. How are we supposed to find this person?" Stefan looked to Belle but she shrugged.

"Let the adults handle this, Stefan," Damon mocked. Stefan rolled his eyes and left the house.

"Stop being an ass," Belle told him.

"I thought we weren't friends anymore, meaning you don't get to tell me what to do," Damon smirked sarcastically.

"Just because I'm angry with you, doesn't mean we're not friends," she scoffed at him, "But then again, you are a selfish narcissistic asshole who only cares about some bitch that only loves herself. Why should I be friends with you?"

"Good, I'm going to find that vampire," Damon rolled his eyes before leaving, "I'd be glad if you were gone before I came back."

* * *

Belle was packing her things when her phone rang.

"Hey Stefan," she said to him.

_"Do you know where Damon is?" _

"He left a little while ago. Said he was going to track down the vampire," she shrugged and zipped up the suitcase, "So you want me to help you before I leave?"

_"You're leaving without me?" he asked, his voice tinged with sadness._

"Pretty sure he just kicked me out."

_"He's angry. He didn't really mean it," Stefan explained._

"He has no right to be angry," Belle snorted before she heard a loud noise, "I've got to go."

"Belle? Belle?" Damon's weak voice came from the first floor, "Please tell me you didn't leave yet."

"Damon?" she asked. As soon as she saw him bloody on the floor, she bolted down the stairs, "What happened?"

"Logan Fell happened," he snapped, "Help me?"

"Come on," she said and helped him to the couch.

"Pull the bullets out," he groaned. She nodded and yanked the ones in his chest out.

"Anymore?" she asked.

"Leg. Arm," he said before pulling the rest of his shirt off. She quickly pulled both bullets out and gave him a glass of blood.

"You should call Stefan, he was worried about you," she said and began to run her fingers though his hair.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled out.

"What?" Belle asked, confused.

"I'm sorry for killing Lexi," he looked up at her. She nodded and kissed his forehead.

"Go change, you're all bloody," Belle smiled at him before grabbing his empty cup.

"Logan Fell is a vampire and when I find him again, I'm gonna destroy him limb by limb," Damon hissed into the phone as Belle took away his bloody shirt.

_"What happened? Are you ok?" Stefan asked anxiously. _

_"_No, I'm not ok! I was ambushed. I was shot. Now, I'm vengeful. Just got to find him," he growled out. Belle rolled her eyes before handing him another shirt.

"Well, there's no need. He's here at the school," his little brother told him.

"You're kidding me? Why the hell is he there?" he exclaimed.

"He's working the crowd."

"Well, I'll be right there," Damon hung up before finishing getting dressed, "Does this mean I can have my bed back?"

"No," Belle replied from her spot on the couch.

"I was nearly killed," he whined and gave her a pout.

"Don't pout. Doesn't look good on a man your age," she shrugged.

"I apologized!" he grumbled but knew he wouldn't change her mind.

"Still mad."

"I am not sleeping on the couch for much longer, Maybelle," he frowned before leaving.

Belle sighed before gripping the locket Damon and Stefan had given her so long ago. It was when they were happy and human. She missed it so much: not having to feel the hunger and wanting to rip out the throat of every human she met, when Damon and Stefan were still so close, her family was still alive. She thought back to the first time she meet Damon, when she was young and naïve.

* * *

_A little girl, no more than seven years old, was helped out of the carriage by her father. The owner of the house, a Giuseppe Salvatore, greeted her father and led him into the house. She began following her father and the Salvatore but was stopped by a little boy._

_ "Father? Who is this?" the raven-haired boy asked._

_ "Her name is Maybelle, Damon. Be respectful," Giuseppe demanded, giving his elder son a disappointed look._

_ "Father?" Maybelle asked._

_ "Why don't you go play with Damon?" Jonathan Fell smiled at his daughter and followed Giuseppe into the house._

_ "Hi, I'm Maybelle but everyone calls me Belle," she said and curtsied in politeness._

_ "Damon," he rolled his eyes and started heading towards the backyard. Belle looked around before following the young boy._

_ "Where are we going?" she asked after a few minutes of following him._

_ "I don't know where you are going but I am going to find those demons father speaks of," the nine year old boy said, looking around for any servants before running into the woods._

_ "Demons?" Belle looked at him, confused._

_ "Yeah, the ones that drink blood from humans and burn to death in the sunlight," he smirked and hid behind a tree._

_ "Oh, you mean the vampires," she huffed._

_ "Vampires?" Damon stopped and looked at her in confusion._

_ "Yeah, Father talks about them all the time. He's trying to find a way to cure them, says they have a disease or something," she shrugged and started to walk back to the house._

_ "Wait!" Damon called and Belle stopped, turning around, "You should help me."_

_ "Father says we should never go looking for them. They'll find us," she shrugged and Damon followed her back to his home._

_ "Come on, Belle. We should go plan!" he grabbed her arm and pulled her to his room._

* * *

_Ring! Ring!_

Her phone ringing pulled her out of the memory. _Damon the Sexy Vamp_ was flashing and part of Belle didn't want to answer it but the other part was worried he was calling for help.

"Hey," she answered.

_"Logan Fell claims others are trying to get into the tomb," Damon said without even greeting her._

"Think he's telling the truth?" she asked skeptically.

_"Only one way to find out. Meet me at the church?" he informed her._

"See you in a few," Belle hung up.

* * *

Damon was walking in the woods when Belle appeared in front of him, "What's up, beautiful?"

"Where's Logan?" she asked, ignoring his comment.

"Dunno," he shrugged, "He was supposed to meet me here."

"You sure he wasn't lying?" Belle asked. Just as he was about to answer, his phone began ringing.

"Hello?" Damon answered, curious as to why the Sheriff was calling him.

_"I just wanted to say thank you. I don't know how you did it."_

"Um, not following," he looked at Belle to see if she had any answers but she just shrugged.

_"We found Logan's body up by the old Fell warehouse. He has been disposed of. He was hoarding victims, innocent victims," the blonde explained, sounding very grateful._

"What?"

_"This town owes you so much. So do I," Liz hung up after that._

"Guess whoever he was working with didn't like him spilling the beans," Belle said after a moment. Damon didn't say anything to her, just started walking, "Damon?"

"Plan C," he shrugged.

"Are you still trying to get into the tomb?" she sighed but decided to follow him.

"There's got to be a way," Damon stopped before holding his hand out to her, "Come with me?"

"Who else is going to stop you from doing something stupid?" she decided but her phone rang at that moment, "Hello?"

_"Belle?" a sobbing Elena asked._

"Elena?"

_"Why do I look like her?" she cried._

"Like who, Elena? Who do you look like?" Belle inquired but had a sinking feeling it was about a certain vampire bitch.

_"Katherine!" she hiccupped, "Can you take me home?"_

"Okay," Belle sighed, "I'll be right there."

"What's wrong?" Damon asked when she got off the phone.

"Elena's upset, wants me to drive her home. We'll go on your little roadtrip after I take Elena home," she explained before disappearing.

* * *

Elena was sitting on the edge of the driveway when Belle arrived. Without a word, the vampiress pulled her into a hug and allowed her to cry. Soothing her gently, Belle coaxed her into the car. As Elena told the story, all the while stopping to sob occasionally, Belle drove her home. Without warning, a hooded figure appeared in front of the car. Belle slammed on the breaks but wasn't fast enough. The car flipped several times before coming to a stop, upside down. Elena screamed as she stared at the figure. Ever so slowly, the figure was getting up and coming towards them. Belle was barely about to let out a scream before the figure sped off and a new pair of feet was in front of her.

"Belle?" Damon's face appeared, "How ya doing in there?"

"Damon?" she gasped, still in shock and fear.

"You look stuck," he said. She nodded and glanced at the unconscious Elena.

"It's my seatbelt. I can't get it," Belle explained, not able to stop a few tears.

"Let me get you out of there," Damon assured her, "I want you to put your hands on the roof. Just like that. You ready? 1, 2, 3. I got you," he pulled her out before helping her stand. He managed to pull Elena out of the car without any more damages.

"We should call Stefan," Belle said with a shaky voice. The raven-haired vampire nodded.

"I texted him already," he answered before laying the unconscious Elena next to the car. Belle stumble toward him before gripping his arms.

"Are you ok? Can you stand?" he asked her.

"Give me a sec," she mumbled, still holding onto him. It took her a few minutes before her healing factor completely kicked it.

"Good?" Damon inquired when she finally let go of him. Stefan had appeared minutes before and taken Elena back to the Boarding House.

"Yeah," she replied but slumped down as she fainted from the injuries and general exhaustion.

"Upsie Daisy," he mumbled before picking her up.

* * *

**Hello, I hope you liked my fifth chapter of Beauty and the Demon, comments and critics are welcome, no flaming please.**


	6. Chapter Six: Bloodlines

**Chapter Six: Bloodlines**

* * *

"Morning," Damon greeted when Belle woke up from her nap.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking out the window of his car.

"Georgia."

"Georgia? Why are we in Gerogia?" Belle asked groggily before bolting up with a shocked look on her face, "My car. There was a man. I hit a man. But then he got up and—who was that?"

"That's what I would like to know," Damon shrugged.

"Where is my phone? OK. We really need to go back. Nobody knows where I am. Pull over. I mean it, Damon. Pull over! Stop the car!" she started freaking out.

"Oh you were so much more fun when you were asleep," he groaned but pulled the car over. Belle got out and glared at him.

"We have to go back," she stated simply. He appeared in front of her with a smirk on his face.

"Oh come on. Look. We've already come this far," he told her, brushing a few strands of messy red hair from her face. Belle quickly slapped his hand away.

"Why are you doing this? I can't be in Georgia. I wrecked my car. I don't want to be here with you. This is kidnapping!"

"That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?" he teased.

"You're not funny. You can't do this. I'm not going to Georgia," she replied stubbornly and began to walk away.

"Well, you're _in_ Georgia," Damon rolled his eyes and pulled Belle flush against him, "Come on, Belle. It's a road trip. You love them."

"What are you trying to prove?" she snapped.

"I'm not trying to prove anything. Just stop being angry with me for God's sake!" he snarled, pushing her against his old car.

"You killed Lexi!" she shouted, "My friend! For some stupid _I'm in love with Katherine _plot!"

"Stop it! Not everything I do is about Katherine!" he disagreed.

"Really? Is that what you tell yourself?" Belle hissed.

Damon didn't respond, just shoved his mouth on hers. It was an angry lust-filled kiss, one that usually leads to angry sex between the two. Damon's hands roamed her body, touching every inch he could as she gripped his shirt and hair, as if she was trying to pull him closer (which did not seem to be possible). His jacket was thrown somewhere behind them, along with hers. Belle wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding her hips against his. Breaking the kiss, Damon began to nip and kiss all down her neck, smirking as she groaned.

_Ring! Ring!_

"That's my phone," Belle said, glancing around for her jacket. Damon pouted but let her go, pulling her phone out of his back pocket.

"Mmm. It's my little bro. I'll take it," he grinned at her annoyed face, "Belle's phone."

_"Where is she? Why do you have her phone? Is she ok?" Stefan was freaking out._

"Belle? She's right here. And, yes, she's fine," he rolled his eyes.

_"Where are you? Let me speak to her," the younger vampire demanded. Belle held her hand out for the phone but Damon ignored her_.

"Yeah. I think she is too busy to talk to you right now," he zipped away when the redhead tried to retrieve her phone.

_"Damon, I swear to God, if you touch her—" Stefan growled._

"You have a good day. Mm-hmm. Bye-now," Damon hung up and put the phone in his back pocket.

"Look. No one knows where I am. Can we just go back?" Belle said, picking up her jacket.

"We're almost there," Damon whined.

"Where is there?" she huffed, knowing he was going to win.

"A little place right outside of Atlanta. Oh, come on, Belle. What's the rush? Time-out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home. Look. Step away from your life for 5 minutes. 5 minutes!" he pitched, hoping she would go without a fight.

"5 minutes," she answered.

"No fighting or snarky comments?"

"I'll 'forget' you killed Lexi and have basically ruined my life, for five minutes," she replied, before grinning at him, "Had to get out one last comment."

"Get in the car," he rolled his eyes but smirked all the same.

* * *

Elena moaned in pain as she tried to roll over. Slowly, she realized the sheets did not feel like hers and the bed was way too soft to be hers. She bolted up in realization, instantly regretting it when her head felt like it was going to split open.

"Hi," Stefan's soft voice came from the doorway.

"Hi," Elena replied, blinking up stupidly at her boyfriend.

"Are you okay?" he appeared next to her.

"I think so," she gave him a tight smile before saying, "You could have told me."

"I wanted to tell you," Stefan said, looking sheepish.

"You said no more lies. Only the truth. I can handle the truth, Stefan. As crazy as it is, I can handle the fact that you are a vampire. And you have a vampire brother. And that my best friend is a witch. I can accept the fact that the world is a much more mysterious place than I ever thought possible. But this—this lie, I cannot take. What am I to you? Who am I to you?" Elena complained, getting louder and more upset as she went on.

"You are not Katherine. You are the opposite of everything that she was," he assured her.

"And when did you figure that out? Before you kissed me? Before we slept together?" she snapped at him.

"Before I met you," Stefan mumbled.

"What?"

"The first day of school. When we met. It wasn't for the first time, Elena."

"Then when was it?" she asked.

"May 23, 2009," he sighed.

"But that was—" Elena gapped in shock.

"That was the day your parents' car went off the bridge," he nodded, reaching for her hand. She allowed him to close his larger hand around hers.

"You were there?" she questioned, close to tears.

Every couple of years I come back here to see Zach and see my home. Last spring, I was out in the woods, by old Wickery bridge. And I heard the accident. All of it. I was fast getting there, but not fast enough. The car was already submerged. Your dad was still- he was still conscious. I was able to get to him, but he wouldn't let me help him, until I helped you," he explained, brushing away the tears that had begun to fall.

"Oh my god. When I woke up in the hospital, nobody could figure out how I got out of the car. They said it was a miracle," Elena cried.

"I went back for them. But it was too late. I couldn't- I couldn't save them. When I pulled you out, I looked at your face. You looked like Katherine. I couldn't believe the resemblance," Stefan pulled her into a hug, "After that, I spent months making sure that you weren't her. I watched you. I learned everything that I could about you. And I saw that you were nothing like Katherine. And I wanted to leave town, but, Elena, I couldn't. I couldn't leave without knowing you. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to. But you were so sad."

"Why do I look like her?"

"Elena, you've been through so much," he shook his head.

"Why do I look like her, Stefan? What are you not telling me?" Elena demanded.

"It didn't make any sense to me. You were a Gilbert. She was a Pierce. But the resemblance was too similar. And then I learned the truth," he paused before deciding she needed to hear it, "You were adopted, Elena"

* * *

"Where are we? You brought me to a bar? Damon, you really have to go to one of those AA meetings," Belle rolled her eyes but followed him into the bar.

"I believe there are no more snarky comments during the time out," he reminded her.

"I said 5 minutes," she joked as they stood at the entry way.

"No. No, it can't be. Damon. My honey pie," a black woman shouted, jumping over the bar. She grabbed Damon and gave him a long kiss. Belle looked on with slight disgust. Of course Damon made out with every girl he knew.

"Listen up everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness!" she announced before pouring shots for everyone, "Drink up!" The three downed their shots before Bree looked at Belle, "So, how'd he rope you in?"

"I'm not roped in. Actually, I'm just—" Belle began after choking down her shot in surprise. Damon was trying not to laugh at her.

"Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride," Bree interrupted, grinning at Damon.

"Ok. So, how did you two meet?" Belle changed the subject, hoping her cheeks were turning red. Damon snickered and she knew she had failed so she decided to kick him.

"College," Bree answered.

"Since when did you go to college?" the vampiress snorted.

"College campus," he shrugged.

"About 20 years ago, when I was a sweet, young freshman I met this beautiful man, and I fell in love. And then he told me about his little secret, made me love him more. Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody," Bree continued, watching Damon and Belle interact.

"She's a witch," Damon whispered in her ear.

"Changed my world, you know," Bree told the young vampire.

"I rocked your world," he laughed.

"He is good in the sack, isn't he? But mostly he's just a walk away Joe," Bree said.

"He doesn't walk away from me," Belle told the witch before she could stop herself.

"Well you must be special," she teased, looking at Damon with a knowing glance, "I'll take a guess and say you're Maybelle Fell."

"Um, yeah? But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing, Belle," Damon said sternly. Bree rolled her eyes but nodded.

"So, what is it that you want?" the witch asked.

* * *

"How do you know this?" Elena gasped. Stefan gently sat her down on his bed.

"Your birth certificate from the city records. It says Elena Gilbert. Mystic Falls General. But there's no record of your mother ever being admitted. There's no record of her ever being pregnant," he explained, wiping a few of her tears away.

"What else do you know?" she asked.

"For me to go any further, I would've had to look into the Pierce family, and I couldn't do that. It's too much of a risk. If someone found out I was asking about Katherine," Stefan nodded, pulling her close again, "Listen to me, it doesn't matter. You are the woman that I love. I love you."

Elena kissed him in thanks. She curled up in his lap as she cried.

* * *

Belle was playing pool with a few other girls as Bree and Damon sat watching them.

"After all these years, it's still only Katherine. How do you even know she's still alive?" the dark skinned witch asked.

"Well, you help me get into that tomb and we'll find out," he grinned.

"I already did. 20 years ago. Remember? 3 easy steps—Comet. Crystal. Spell," she listed off.

"There's a little problem with number 2. I don't have the crystal," he huffed before smiling at Belle across the room.

"That's it, Damon. There is no other way. It's Emily's spell," Bree rolled her eyes.

"What about a new spell with a new crystal that overrides Emily's spell?"

"It doesn't work that way, baby. Emily's spell is absolute. You can't get into that tomb," she explained and watched Damon's face fall.

* * *

"Stefan, who was that man in the road?" Elena asked, the two of them were cuddled on the couch.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "Do you remember anything else about him?"

"I wish. I never really saw his face. He was wearing a hoodie. All I can remember is that he was in the middle of the road and Belle hit him. Then I blacked out," she explained.

"I brought some vervain for, um—for you and Jenna. And, um, I made this bracelet for Jeremy, few extra ones for friends," Stefan changed the subject and handed her a black bracelet, "You can put it in jewelry, or you can even put it in food or drink, but as long as it's in you or on you, a vampire cannot control you."

"Wow. So much to remember," she marveled.

"I know, but there's another vampire in town. So until we find out who it is and what he wants, we have to be careful," he nodded and pulled her close.

* * *

"Here you go," Bree said, handing Damon a beer.

"Thank you," he grinned, sitting next to the redheaded vampiress.

"I'll have one too," Belle announced. Bree nodded before going to retrieve another beer. Damon glanced at his best friend in slight shock.

"Time out, remember? For 5 minutes? Yeah, well that 5 minutes is going to need a beer," she explained before giving him a sarcastically sweet smile, "Mellow me out so I don't rip your head off."

"Appreciate it," Damon retorted.

"There you go," Bree reappeared and placed the beer in front of Belle.

"So this is Plan B?" Belle asked, after taking a long gulp from her beer.

"It's a bust," he shrugged.

"Aww, too bad," the redhead mocked, "I miss that bitch so much."

"You two never got along," Damon observed, "Why?"

"Maybe because she was a selfish two-timing slut?" she answered, giving him another sarcastic smile.

"I loved her," he said after a moment.

"I hate to tell you this Damon," Belle sighed, "But she never loved you. She's only ever loved herself."

"She did love me!" Damon insisted. She glanced at him with sad eyes.

"You're going to have to see the truth sometime," she told him, "That wasn't love. It was lust."

"No!" he snapped, "What I had with her was love! What I have with _you _is lust."

Belle stared at him with shock before leaving the bar without a word. Bree, who had been watching the exchange between the two vampires, tutted at Damon.

"That girl really loves you," she breathed, "Poor thing, having her heart ripped to shreds by you."

"Belle?" Damon scoffed.

"You really are blind," Bree pointed out, "Better figure it out before it's too late and you lose her too."

"Whatever Bree," Damon rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Hey, where's your girl?" Bree asked after a while.

"Probably pouting in the car," Damon shrugged. He got up to drag Belle back in but she wasn't there. He turned around and started looking for her. Spotting her on the tank near the electrical building, Damon rushed forward.

"Damon, no!" she shouted, but was too late with her warning. A man appeared and began beating Damon with a wooden plank.

"What the hell?!" Damon yelled. The man didn't stop, just began beating him harder.

"No!" Belle shouted again, climbing down the tower as fast as she could.

"Who are you?" the raven-haired vampire coughed.

"That's perfect. You have no idea," the man sneered before hitting him again.

"What did he do to you?" Belle had just gotten close enough to see the man's face, "Riley?"

"He killed Lexi!" Riley shouted before turning to Damon, "What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?!"

"Nothing," Damon managed out.

"Riley! Stop!" the vampiress tried to yank the bat out of his hand but was shoved to the ground.

"He deserves it Belle!" Riley hissed, grabbing lighter fluid and poured it on Damon.

"She loved you. She said that, 'when it's real, you can't walk away,'" Belle tried.

"Well, that's a choice you're not going to have to make," he replied.

"Don't. Don't, please, don't hurt him—," she begged, starting to tear up.

"I'm doing you a favor," Riley ignored her before lighting a match.

"I love him!" Belle shouted, causing both boys to stop, "Please! I'm begging you!"

"Belle?" Damon coughed again. Riley threw the match away before looking at the teary-eyed redhead.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It wasn't for you," Riley replied before walking away, "Lexi was your best friend. She would want you to be happy."

"Are you okay?" Belle asked after crawling over to Damon. He didn't answer, just laid there and stared at her, "Damon?"

"I'm fine," he answered before sighing, "Did you mean it?"

"That I love you?" Belle scoffed. She was obviously lying but Damon let it go, "No, just thought it might stop Riley. He was doing this all for love after all."

"Good," Damon nodded. Belle curled herself into his side.

"Can we just lay here?" she asked, "Just for a little while?"

"Sure, Maybelle. Anything you want," he replied before wrapping his arms around her.

* * *

**Hope you liked the sixth chapter of Beauty and the Demon. Comments and critics are welcomed, flames are not.**

**And before I forget for the sixth time:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampires Diaries, or any of its characters or lines.**


	7. Chapter Seven: Unpleasentville

**Chapter Seven: Unpleasentville**

* * *

Belle walked in the library and spotted Damon searching for something. She waited until he noticed her standing there to say anything.

"What are you lookin' for, Damon?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said.

"Yeah Damon, what are you looking for?" Stefan had appeared with a smug look on his face.

"Not your concern," Damon snapped at his little brother.

"No, but putting Belle in harm's way, that is my concern," he hissed.

"Stefan, I'm fine," Belle assured him but both boys ignored her.

"Hm hm. What are you talking about?" Damon scoffed.

"I'm talking about Atlanta," Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. Belle and I had blast. Didn't we?" he winked at Belle.

"I get it. You're just bitter because one of us gets to be with the person that we love, and poor Katherine is just out of reach," Stefan mocked, "Unless there's another way for you to get into that tomb. Is that what Bree said?"

"You're pathetic when you're fishing," Damon hissed.

"And you're transparent when you're deflecting," Stefan retorted.

"Don't you have school?" Belle reminded the boys she was still there.

"Yeah," Stefan nodded before kissing her goodbye on the cheek, "See you later, Belle."

"Bye Stef," she answered. After Stefan left, she turned to Damon, "Explain."

"Bree told me about the Emily's grimoire. It can help break the spell on the tomb," he sighed, "I'm looking for dad's journal. To see where he hid it."

"Okay," Belle shrugged and started walking away from him.

"Not going to help me?" he called to her.

"The bitch should stay in her prison!"

"Jealous much?" he mumbled under his breath.

* * *

"Hello, Miss Maybelle," Damon wolf whistled as she walked down the stairs. She was wearing a black 50's halterneck dress with a red belt around it. Her hair was in big curls rather than her usual messy ones.

"Damon," she huffed before throwing him a book.

"Why are you bringing me my dad's journal?" he asked, "Thought you didn't want Katherine out."

"Go ahead. Enjoy it. Read it. I have. Nowhere in it does it say anything about Katherine or the tomb or how to open it," she shrugged.

"I'm not surprised. Man could barely spell his own name," Damon snorted.

"I'm really sorry that it won't be of any help with your diabolical plan, the sequel. You know, I could help you," Stefan said, walking down the stairs.

"You? Help me? Aw, I don't know. Seems a little unnatural," the older brother joked.

"I'll do anything to get you out of this town, even release Katherine," he shrugged, glancing at Belle when she gave him a death glare.

"What about the other 26 vampires?" she hissed.

"No, no, no. They can't come. They have to stay put," Stefan assured her, "But Katherine, I would consider that."

"What are you doin'? Hmm? What's your angle?" Damon asked suspiciously.

"Think about it," Stefan sneered.

"Why would I trust you?" he rolled his eyes.

"See that's your problem, Damon. You apply all of your shortcomings to everybody else. If history's any indication, there's only one liar among us," the dirty blonde walked away.

"I can't believe either of you," Belle huffed and began following Stefan out. Damon reached out and grabbed her arm. He yanked her into his arms.

"Want to go have some fun?" Damon asked her seductively.

"No," she scoffed, "Go have some fun with Katherine."

"Aww, come on Belle!" he refused to let her go, "One last hurrah?"

"I'm going to be late for the dance. Can't be late for my dates," Belle pushed him away.

"Dates?" he asked.

"Bonnie and Caroline," she gave him a cheeky smile, "The three of us bonded over mutual hate of you."

"You don't hate me, Belle," Damon smirked, "You _love _me."

"I do not," she retorted, her eyes flashing in anger.

"Oh, don't try to deny it," he grabbed the shirt of her dress and pulled her in again. Her hands landed on his chest. His lips hovered just above hers and she stared at them as he talked, "You can't resist me."

"Doesn't matter," she managed, "All you'll ever see is Katherine."

"Make me forget her," Damon brushed his lips against hers, pulling away when she tried to kiss him back.

"Damon," she breathed.

"Belle," he grinned and went to kiss her but she ran away.

* * *

Belle arrived at the Gilbert house just as the hooded vampire left. Before she could even register it was him, the vampire was gone.

"Belle!" Stefan shouted and pulled her into the house.

"What the hell, Stefan?!" she shouted. Elena was shaking in the living room and dived into Belle's arms when the two vampires walked into the room, "Elena? What happened?"

"He tried to kill me!" she sniffed.

"You'll be fine," the redhead assured her and began to comfort the shaking girl as Stefan called his brother. A few minutes later, the raven haired vampire walked in the door.

"How did he get in?" he asked.

"He was invited in," Elena explained, still hugging Belle.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night," Stefan sighed and sat on Elena's other side.

"Well, he gets points for that. Did he say what he wanted?" Damon asked.

"No. He was too busy trying to kill me," Elena snapped.

"And you have no idea who this is?" Stefan asked his brother.

"No. Don't look at me like that. I told you we had company," Damon rolled his eyes.

"You think there's more than one?" Elena asked.

"We don't know," Belle began petting Elena's hair.

"Damon, he was invited in," Stefan pointed out.

"Then we go get him tonight," he decided.

"You up for it?" Stefan asked Elena softly.

"What do I have to do?" she asked, looking at Belle for support.

"Let your boyfriend take you to the dance. We'll see who shows up," Damon shrugged, "I'll be Belle's date."

"I'm Caroline and Bonnie's date!" she protested but it fell on deaf ears.

"It's a bad idea," Stefan sighed but nodded.

"Till we get him, this house isn't safe. For anyone who lives in it. It's worth a shot," Damon shrugged before pulled Belle up. She scowled at him but didn't remove the arm he draped over her shoulders.

"I'll do it. I'll be with the three of you. I'll be safe," Elena decided.

* * *

Belle and Elena walked over to Caroline and Bonnie, who were standing by the punch bowl. They grinned at the girls.

"Hello lovely dates," Belle joked and they linked arms with her.

"You look quite lovely too," Caroline laughed while Bonnie nodded in agreement.

"Having fun?" Elena asked, grabbing her own punch.

"No, but this took about 2 hours, so I'm at least staying half of that," Caroline rolled her eyes and pointed to her fancy hairdo.

"What's Damon doing here?" Bonnie scoffed and glared in the direction of the raven haired vampire.

"He wanted to come. I promise. He'll behave," Belle explained.

"So what is this, like, a double date, you two and the Salvatore brothers?" Caroline ground out.

"The only thing Damon wants from me is to get in my pants," Belle huffed. Bonnie and Caroline looked at her sympathetically.

"Oh honey, he hurt you too?" Caroline cooed and began rubbing Belle's back.

"Want us to kill him for you?" Bonnie asked.

"Mmm. I'll help!" Caroline agreed. Belle laughed when the two clicked their glasses together.

* * *

"Bonnie. Wanna dance?" Damon asked, grinning at the dark-skinned witch. Bonnie, Caroline and Belle had all been sitting by the punch bowl, talking about boys.

"I'm out of here," she mumbled before walking away.

"Caroline?" he turned to the blonde.

"Back off, Damon," she rolled her eyes and followed Bonnie. Damon shot his smirk at Belle.

"Miss Maybelle?" he offered his hand to her.

"Just leave me alone," Belle sighed, leaving to find the other two girls.

"Where did they go?" Elena asked as she appeared behind him.

"I don't know," Damon shrugged, grinning at her.

"What did you say to them?" Stefan huffed, glancing at the three girls talking far away from them.

"I was perfectly polite," he answered before turning to his brother's girl, "Elena... Would you like to dance?"

"I would love to," she grinned and looked at her boyfriend, "May I have this dance?"

* * *

"So Damon is hung up on this Katherine girl?" Caroline asked her redheaded friend.

"And he doesn't realize that she never loved him?" Bonnie added.

"Exactly!" Belle threw her hands up in praise.

"So when did you realize you were in love with him," Caroline smirked and shared a look with Bonnie.

"_What?!"_ she squeaked.

"Oh come on, Belle!" Bonnie laughed, "It's _so _obvious."

"_I do not!" _the vampiress still hadn't lost the squeaky tone in her voice.

"Belle," the two sang.

"Fine! I'm absolutely, completely, irrevocably in love with the moron," Belle shouted. She began glaring at the two girls but began to get confused when she noticed they were staring behind her.

"Is that so?" a deep voice asked. Belle slowly turned around to see Damon grinning at her.

"She was totally quoting—" Bonnie began to lie.

"Twilight!" Caroline announced. The other three began staring at her with looks. With a sheepish grin, she added, "You know, the part where Bella talks about how she's in love with Edward?"

"I wasn't aware you read that book, Belle," Damon snorted.

"I um….I…I have to go to the bathroom!" Belle shouted and ran away.

"Tell me the truth," the blue-eyed boy turned to them.

"She loves you but you're too hung up on some slut to see her!" Caroline blurted out.

"Caroline!" Bonnie scolded but the damage had been done.

"What? It's true!" the blonde protested.

"Thanks girls," Damon grinned before heading in the direction Belle had run off to.

"Damon! Vampire's here!" Stefan intercepted him. Deciding to find Belle later, he followed his brother to the cafeteria. Just as the vampire was about to bite Elena, Stefan yanked him off.

"Hey dickhead!" Damon had picked up the makeshift stake, "Nobody wants to kill you. We just wanna talk."

The vampire attempted to attack Elena again. Damon quickly threw the makeshift stake, which Stefan caught and stabbed into the vampire.

"Now you feel like talkin'?" Stefan asked sarcastically.

"Screw you," he hissed. Stefan drove the stake in deeper.

"Wrong answer. Why are you doing this?" the dirty blonde snapped.

"Cause it's fun," the vampire groaned.

"What do you want with Elena?" Stefan inquired.

"She looks like Katherine," he responded.

"You knew Katherine?" Damon said from his spot at the doors.

"Oh. You thought you were the only ones. You don't even remember me," he scoffed.

"Tell me how to get in the tomb. Hmm?" Damon hissed.

"No," the vampire laughed. Stefan drove the stake in even deeper, making the vampire groan, "The grimoire."

"Where is it?" Damon demanded.

"Check the journal. The journal. Jonathan Gilbert's," he answered.

"Who else is working with you?" Stefan commanded.

"Who else is there?" Damon added.

"No. You're gonna have to kill me," the vampire was protecting someone but the Salvatores knew he wouldn't give whoever it was up. Damon nodded to his little brother and he drove the stake through the vampires heart.

"What do we—how are you gonna find the others now?" Elena gasped.

"He had to die," Damon explained.

"But..."

"Elena, he's been invited in," Stefan answered.

* * *

Damon found Belle sitting on the steps in front of the school. He sat down next to her, placing his jacket over her shoulders.

"We killed the vamp who got in," he told her.

"Did you find out what he wanted?" Belle asked, faking a smile.

"To get in the tomb," Damon answered and watched as she pulled his jacket closer around her.

"Everyone wants Katherine out, huh?" she laughed without humor.

"Belle—" he began but was cut off.

"We're not talking about it, Damon," Belle said firmly before getting up, "I'll see you at home."

"Okay," he answered softly and watched her walk away. He waited until she was out of earshot before mumbling to himself, "Just wanted to tell you I love you too."

* * *

"There's no way that idiot was workin' alone," Damon said as his brother entered the room.

"You are," Stefan shrugged before getting to his point, "So the grimoire... That was Emily's, right? That's what you need to reverse the spell. When the founding families burned her, they took her things, and you were hoping that dad's journal would tell you where it is."

"Look at you puttin' the pieces together. Good for you," Damon mocked, "I was half-right. Well, it's out there now. Let the games begin."

"My offer still stands," he offered.

"Yeah, with some hidden caveats, no doubt," the older one scoffed.

"No. Nothing hidden about it. No lies. No deception. I'm there when you open up that tomb, you and Katherine go, And the other 26 vampires die," Stefan assured him.

"If I agree?"

"I'll help you."

"Why should I trust you?" Damon glared at him suspiciously.

"Because I'm your brother," he shrugged.

"No, that's not gonna cut it."

"Because I want you gone," Stefan hissed, "Because I want Belle to move on, for her to be happy. And that's not going to happen if you're still around. I want you gone so I don't have to watch her be in pain for the rest of her life because of my selfish brother."

"Ok," Damon nodded.

* * *

**Hope you liked my seventh chapter of Beauty and the Demon. Reviews and critics are welcome, flames are not.**

******Disclaimer: I do not own Vampires Diaries, or any of its characters or lines.**


	8. Chapter Eight: Children of the Damned

**Chapter Eight: Children of the Damned**

* * *

"Good morning," Elena said sweetly, cuddling up to her boyfriend in the morning.

"I could get used to this," he grinned before leaning down to kiss her.

"Rise and shine, sleepyheads!" Damon announced, jumping on the bed. Belle stood in the doorway and rolled her eyes at him.

"Damon! Please!" Elena protested, covering herself up.

"What are you doing?" Stefan growled out.

"Oh, stop being smutty," Damon teased.

"Seriously, get out of here!" his little brother shouted.

"If I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it," he winked, "Now listen. We have some very important business to discuss."

"And it has to be right now?" Belle huffed from the doorway. It was just then that Elena noticed the redhead seemed to have been dragged out of bed: with her messy bedhead, oversized t-shirt that feel to her mid-thighs, and no pants.

"Well, we have lots to do," Damon answered her and patted the spot next to him, "now that we're all friends and working toward a common goal. So, in order to open the tomb, we need to find the journal to get the grimoire to undo the spells. First things first-since you are Elena Gilbert, you're on journal duty."

"Since when am I helping?" she scoffed.

"Well, Stefan's helping, and you've taken up residence in Stefan's bed, ergo..."

"Because being an ass is going to help make friends," Belle mumbled under her breath. Damon gave her an annoyed look.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Stefan assured her.

"I'll look for it today," Elena sighed and looked at the raven-haired vampire.

"Good," Damon grinned.

"How do we know that this journal? Will hold the location of the grimoire? We're really going to take the word of this vampire he seemed like a bit of a dimwit," Stefan pointed out.

"In lieu of any other options," Damon shrugged.

"OK, what exactly is a grimoire, anyway?" the brunette inquired.

"It's a witch's cookbook," Belle announced, still leaning on the door.

"Every spell that a witch casts is unique unto itself, so every witch would document their work," Stefan explained more.

"Yeah. Cookbook," Damon rolled his eyes.

"What about our mystery vampire? Dimwit obviously wasn't working alone, so whoever is out there knows who we are," Belle asked.

"And I don't like that disadvantage, so...Chop, chop. You know, I really like this whole menage-foursome team thing. It's got a bit of a kink to it," Damon chuckled before walking out the door with Belle following, "Don't screw it up."

"Who ever said I was helping?" she demanded.

"Come on Belle," he pouted but Belle just scoffed at it, "You're my best friend. You have to help me."

"Helping you means I have to help Katherine," she hissed.

"Belle," he groaned before pulling her closer to him, "For me?"

"No!" she shouted, bolting back into Damon's room. He knocked on the door but she refused to answer.

* * *

Damon had finally dragged Belle out of his room. After demanding for her to look nice, he hauled her to the Gilbert home. Jenna had happily let them in when she saw Belle. The oldest Salvatore brother decided to charm the young woman with his cooking. He had insisted Jenna was to only watch as he and his delightful assistant, his words, cooked dinner for the Gilbert clan.

"My father never approved of anyone I dated, which only made me want them more," Damon grinned Jenna as she drunk wine, "Belle, however, was a goodie-little-two-shoes and did whatever _Daddy_ wanted."

"It's a wonder he let me be friends with a snot-nosed brat like you," the redhead teased, giggling when Damon hip-checked her, "What about you, Jenna?"

"There were a few guys. Logan isn't the only loser I've dated," she shrugged.

"They ever find him? Or is he still missing?" Damon asked after a moment.

"He's not missing. He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled, that one. Marches to his own drum," she rolled her eyes, "He's a Fell. They're all snooty."

"Hello, Elena," the raven-haired vampire greeted as he poured her aunt more wine.

"Hey. Where have you been?" Jenna asked before gesturing to the half-made dinner, "We're cooking dinner."

"I think you mean Belle and Damon are making dinner," Belle teased.

"Is Stefan with you?" Damon asked Elena, looking very concerned.

"He'll be here soon," she nodded.

"Hey, Romeo! Still need to finish dinner," Belle called his attention.

"Why don't we go wait in the livingroom, 'Lena," Jenna nudged her niece. The two walked away but not before Jenna sent Belle a wink.

"She is not subtle at all," the vampire observed before glancing at his friend, "But then again, neither are you, my dear friend."

"What do you mean by that?" Belle asked, finishing mixing the salad together.

"Seems, everyone can tell you care for me," he whispered in her ear as he pressed up against her back.

"Don't you have cooking to do?" she snapped but Damon didn't move except to put his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm comfy."

"Damon," she hissed.

"Belle," he whined and she could almost feel him pouting, "Why can't we have a little fun?"

"One: it's Elena's house. Two: I don't want to. And Three: most important of all, Katherine," was all the redhead said before shoving him away.

"Well, she'll be angry with you when she finds out you've been screwing me while she was gone," he grinned, "But doesn't it make you happy that she'll be upset."

"No Damon. What would make me happy is if you never turned me and let me die peacefully instead of being miserable for the rest of my unlife!" she growled at him. Damon sighed while Belle stormed out of the house and remembered when he turned the redhead.

* * *

_ She looked almost dead; the only difference was that she was breathing. Her normally pink skin was a sickly grey with a green tinge. Her eyes looked so dull and lifeless, fluttering shut as she tried to stay awake. Every few minutes, she would have a coughing fit; most of the coughs were weak and pathetic now._

_ Damon sat by her bedside, holding her hand. He didn't say anything to her, just ran his thumb back and forth on the back of her hand. A nurse walked around the room, taking care of dirty rages and empty medicine containers._

_ "You're going to be alright, Belle," Damon whispered to the dying redhead and kissed her forehead as the nurse left. _

_ "Damon," she said hoarsely, her voice barely louder than a whisper. He hushed her as he ran his fingers though her dull red hair._

_ "I'm going to help you," the young vampire said and bit into his wrist. _

_He placed his bloody wrist on her pale lips and gently forced the blood down her throat. At first, she resisted weakly but ended up gulping down the salty tasting liquid. Damon pulled his wrist away after a moment and paused, preparing himself for what he had to do next. He gently gripped her neck before he snapped it. A tear fell from his eyes as Belle became limp and lifeless. _

* * *

Belle didn't return as the Gilbert household and Damon ate dinner together, nor did she return when Damon and Elena began cleaning up.

"Whoa. Hmm," Damon exclaimed as he bumped into Elean.

"Don't do that," she hissed.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"You know what. That move was deliberate," Elena glared at him.

"Well, yeah, I was deliberately trying to get to the sink," he rolled his eyes, "Speaking of Stefan, Where is he? He's missing family night, which I am enjoying immensely. Is it real?"

"Is what real?" Elena asked.

"This renewed sense of brotherhood," Damon shrugged, "Can I trust him?"

"Yes, you can trust him," Elena lied easily, feeling slightly uncomfortable about going behind Damon's back. She didn't want Belle to get even more hurt and she knew Katherine was bad news from what Stefan had told her. There was no way she would help free her.

"Can I trust him?" Damon asked again, getting very close to Elena.

"I'm wearing vervain, Damon. It's not going to work," she scoffed.

"I'm not compelling you," he looked confused for a moment, "I just want you to answer me. Honestly."

"Of course you can," she fibbed. She was doing this for his own good.

"There was a time when I trusted him more than anyone," Damon mused, backing away again.

"Trust breeds trust. You have to give it to get it," she stated before washing the last of the dishes.

"Are you lecturing me?" Damon sounded amused.

"Do you need to be lectured?" she asked, raising a stern eyebrow at him.

"I just want her back. I'm sure you can understand that," he said after a moment.

"I can understand that you would do anything for her, yes," Elena said, "Just like Belle would do anything for you."

"What do you mean?" he inquired, looking very confused.

"Your father's journal," she said and elaborated when Damon gave her a questioning look, "She begged Stefan to give it to you. Belle knew you would need it to get Katherine so she got it for you.

"She hates Katherine," he scoffed, not believing a word Elena said.

"But she loves you," Elena rolled her eyes, "She wants you to be happy and if that means freeing someone who made her life miserable than she will do anything in her power to make it happen."

* * *

Belle was lying in her bed—well Damon's bed—when her phone began to ring. She glared at it until it stopped ringing and she went back to staring off into space. Minutes later, the phone rang again. She grabbed it and answered with a huff.

"What?"

_"Hello to you too, beautiful," Damon teased._

"What do you want?" she groaned, sitting up.

_"Wanna come see an old friend?" he asked and she could hear the grin in his voice._

"I wouldn't consider Katherine my friend," Belle retorted.

_"I wasn't talking about her. I was talking about Annabelle," Damon responded._

"Anna?!" she jumped up with excitement.

_"Yes, now open my bedroom door," he said, jiggling the doorknob._

She rolled her eyes and opened the door to the raven haired vampire. Damon held his hand out to her but she didn't take it, just brushed past him. He shrugged, following her out.

"She's at the motel," he told her.

"I'm driving!" Belle shouted and tried to grab his keys but he held them out of reach.

"You are not driving my baby," he scoffed.

"Please?" she pouted.

"No," he whispered, getting very close to her lips.

"Please?" Belle asked again, this time there was a seductive tone in her voice.

"No," he grinned.

"Please?" she leaned up, brushing her lips against his. He grabbed her when she tried to pull away and shoved his lips against hers. Kissing her forcefully, Damon shoved Belle against the wall. She kissed him back enthusiastically before realizing she was still angry with him. After a forceful shove, she walked out of the boarding house. Damon grinned before going to grab his keys. A moment of confusion passed before he heard an engine start.

"Belle!"

* * *

When they got to the hotel room, Belle having driven much to Damon's chagrin, the vampiress charmed the motel clerk to give them the apartment Anna was staying in. Damon kicked the door in and entered but there was no Anna.

"I guess we wait," she shrugged.

"Not for long," Damon nodded to the window. Anna was walking, fishing the key out of her pocket. He motioned to the bathroom and he himself hid behind the door. Anna opened the door just as Belle closed the bathroom door. As soon as she was inside, Damon grabbed her throat and she grabbed his, "Okay! I give up." He coughed.

"You're strong for a little thing," Belle grinned from the doorway.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me," she said, glancing at Damon before looking at Belle, "Nice to see you again, Maybelle."

"You two, Annabelle," she nodded.

"How long have you been here?" Damon interrupted.

"I arrived around half-past comet. Watching you screw up every chance you had to open that tomb," Anna sneered.

"How did you know about the spell?" Belle asked.

"I didn't say much back then, which means I heard everything," the littlest vampire smirked, "You understand, don't you Maybelle."

"So if you've been here the whole time, then why are we just crossing paths right now?" Damon began to grow even more annoyed.

"I like to use others to do my dirty work," she said simply.

"Like Logan Fell?" he scoffed, "Oh, yeah, thanks for that, by the way. Little bastard shot me."

"Logan was an idiot. We slipped him some blood when he started getting all poser slayer with that compass. I needed his family's journal. I couldn't let him die," she shrugged, not at all sorry.

"What's you want with the Fell journal?" Belle questioned.

"I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book. I was wrong," Anna frowned, "According to her journal, Honoria gave the grimoire To Jonathan Gilbert. And, according to this...He gave it to your father. So now you're going to help me find it."

"Why would I help you?" Damon scoffed.

"Cause you and I both want that tomb open," she said.

"Sorry. I work alone," he rolled his eyes. Belle coughed before he added, "With my best friend of course."

"Still just the best friend huh?" Anna smirked at the redhead.

"Why does everyone ask that question?" she groaned.

"Because you two are obvious to everyone but apparently yourselves," she snorted.

* * *

"What?" Stefan asked, glancing at his staring girlfriend.

"Not many girls can say they've done this," she said before he opened up the coffin they had just unearthed. Stefan pried the journal out of his father's skeleton hands, "Is that it?"

"Well, what do you know? This is an interesting turn of events," Damon's voice came from behind them. Belle was behind him, holding the Jonathan Gilbert journal.

"I can't let you bring her back," Stefan shrugged, "I'm sorry."

"So am I. For thinking for even a second that I could trust you," he hissed.

"You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself. The only reason you let Belle tag along is because she follows you around like a lost puppy," he snapped.

"Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan. But you…" he glanced at Elena, "You had me fooled."

"Damon," Belle whispered and he glanced at her with rage, "Maybe it's for the best."

"Are you working with them too?" he growled at her. Suddenly he had her pinned against the tree, "Did you betray me too?"

"No, Damon!" Elena shouted, "She didn't know!"

"So what are you going to do now?" the angry vampire asked after letting Belle go, "Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip Elena's heart out."

"You won't kill her," Stefan denied.

"I can do one better," he smirked before appearing behind the human and forcing her to drink his blood, "Give me the book, Stefan or I'm snapping her neck. And you and I will have another vampire girlfriend."

"Let her go first," his brother begged.

"The book!" he shouted.

"I'm not going to give this to you until she is standing next to me," Stefan said.

"Problem is, I no longer trust That you'll give it back!" he snapped.

"You just did the one thing that ensures that he will," Belle said quietly, "Let her go, Damon."

Stefan dropped the book at that moment. Damon let Elena go and she jumped into Stefan's arms. He hugged her tightly before leaving. Belle, however, just stood by the tree with a horrified expression. Damon ignored her, picking up the book instead.

"Still love me?" he snorted and was gone the next second

* * *

**Hope you liked the eighth chapter of Beauty and the Demon. Comments and critics are welcomed, flames are not.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampires Diaries, or any of its characters or lines.**


	9. Chapter Nine: Fooled Me Once

**Chapter Nine: Fooled Me Once**

* * *

Belle arrived back at the house to find Damon reading Emily's grimoire and Stefan was nowhere to be found. She stood in the doorway, watching him.

"Anna took Elena and Stefan's been looking for you all night," he said after a long pause, "He was worried you were kidnapped too."

"And you're just sitting here, not even bothering to see if your best friend was kidnapped," she rolled her eyes.

"Did you put a new lock on my door?" he asked, ignoring her snarky remark.

"Why yes I did, you have to have a key to open it," she answered simply.

"I have not slept in my own room for over a month," Damon snapped, "Give me the key, Maybelle."

"No," she glared at him.

"Give it to me or I will make you give it to me," he said very calmly.

"No," Belle repeated. He attempted to grab her but she ran faster and was in his room with the door locked before he could even catch her.

"Maybelle!" he banged on the door, "I do not have time for your temper tantrum."

"Why do you care anyway? You and Katherine are leaving as soon as you free her!"

"It's my room!" he shouted.

"Now it's not," she replied simply. Damon stopped banging on the door but he sat against it and began to read again. Belle, knowing this, used the window to get out of the boarding house to meet up with Stefan who had just saved Elena and Bonnie.

"Belle," Bonnie greeted as she opened the door to her Gram's house, "Please come in."

"Thanks Bonnie," she nodded.

"Where did you leave my brother?" Stefan asked, leaning against the wall.

"Having a tantrum over the fact I won't allow him in my room," she grinned.

"You mean the room that you stole from him," he laughed.

"When he decides to act like a big boy, I'll consider letting him sleep on the floor of my new room," she replied cheekily, "So what do we do now?"

"Well for now, they need to stay here," Stefan nodded to the humans.

"A prisoner in my own home? I don't think so," an old woman scoffed.

"We can't protect you if you leave the house," Stefan explained.

"We'll protect ourselves," she decided.

"We need to let him have Katherine back. He's not going to stop until he gets her. If we help him, maybe that ends it," Elena said.

"No. He doesn't deserve to get what he wants," Bonnie said angrily.

"I agree with Bonnie," Belle nodded toward the little witch and pouted at Stefan when he shook his head at her.

"What other choice do we have?" Elena asked rhetorically.

"Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we try to do to stay out of it," Grams sighed, "I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will all be over."

"We still have to get Damon to agree," Stefan said after a moment.

"He already agreed once," Elena pointed out.

"Yeah, and then we double crossed him. So now he's angry," Belle rolled his eyes.

"He's hurt. There's a difference," the human argued.

"I think I know what I have to do," Belle sighed and left.

* * *

Damon was just putting his jacket on when Belle walked back in the boarding house. He stared at her with shock before giving her an annoyed look.

"Used the window?"

"You were in front of the door," she shrugged before getting to the point, "I convinced Bonnie to help you."

"I doubt that," he snorted.

"They were protecting the people they love, Damon," Belle explained, "Stefan is concerned what this could do to me and what she might do to Elena. And Elena is my friend. She doesn't want me to get hurt either. But I want you to be happy and if this is going to make you happy than I want it for you."

"Not interested," Damon started walking away.

"Damon," she called to him and he stopped, "I love you and if this is going to make you happy, I'll do it."

"I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it," he nodded. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't respond at first but gave in and buried his face in her messy red hair.

* * *

"The Duke party. I forgot. I hope they stay clear of the church," Belle cursed as she looked around and saw all of the drunk teens in the woods by the old Fell church.

"Your hope, not mine," Damon replied in a bored tone. Just then, Matt and Caroline bumped into them.

"Belle, hey!" Caroline greeted before grabbing Matt's hand, "Do you know where Elena is?"

"Long story, no time to tell it," Damon cut Belle off.

"I wasn't talking to you," she snapped.

"Sure you were," he patronized her. Belle stomped on his foot.

"We haven't met. I'm Belle and this is my rude friend, Damon," Belle introduced herself to Matt even though she had heard all about him from Caroline and Elena.

"Matt," he nodded.

"There's a reason you and I haven't met," Damon snapped before pushing Belle away, "We're going that way."

"I'm sorry, guys," Belle called and followed him to find Stefan digging his way into the tomb.

"Brother. Witches. Elena," Damon nodded.

"Everything okay?" Stefan asked, staring at Belle.

"Are we ready?" she just stated, ignoring the concerned look both Stefan and Elena were giving her.

"Yes," Bonnie said and they all entered the tomb.

"Air. Earth. Fire," Sheila Bennett stated, lighting each torch as she said it.

"Water," Bonnie added and handed her Grams a water bottle which was poured around the floor.

"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena asked.

"As oppose to what?" Sheila raised her eyebrows.

"I just figured maybe it'd have to be blessed or mystical or something," she shrugged. Sheila smirked at her as Damon pulled out a blood bag.

"What's that?" Belle asked.

"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going," Damon explained before looking at Stefan, "Unless your girl's offering to tap a vein. Admit it. You can't wait to get rid of me."

"I can't wait to get rid of you," Stefan admitted and watched Belle's face fall. He leaned forward and hissed in his brother's ear so Belle was unable to hear him, "And don't ever visit Belle _ever_ again. She doesn't need any more heartache from you."

"We're ready," Bonnie announced. The two witches began to recite a spell as the rest looked on in awe.

"What are they saying?" Damon asked.

"Sounds Latin," his brother replied.

"I don't think it's Latin," Elena said as the torches flared up, "What's happening?"

"It worked," Bonnie gaped in shock as the tomb door opened.

"Of course it worked," the older woman said.

"Don't you have some fires to build?" Damon asked his brother.

"I'm gonna go get the gasoline," he nodded before turning to Elena, "I'll be right back."

"You ready?" the vampire asked Katherine's lookalike once her boyfriend was gone.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" he said before grabbing Elena.

"Don't take her in. I'll bring the walls down," the grandmother warned.

"You'll bring the walls down even if I don't. Think I trust you?" he scoffed.

"As much as I trust you," she nodded.

"Enough. Both of you," Belle announced, "Look, he needs leverage. He needs to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside."

"I get it. I'll go," Elena nodded. Damon threw his friend a grateful smile and grabbed a torch from the circle.

"May I?" he asked sarcastically before dragging Elena into tomb.

"He's not going to hurt her," Belle assured Bonnie who looked worried.

"How do you know?" she didn't look convinced one bit.

"Because I know Damon very well," the redhead gave her a soft smile. Bonnie nodded, feeling somewhat better that the kind vampiress was not worried. Suddenly, Anna walked down the steps and headed toward the door.

"Hey, you're not going in there!" Bonnie shouted at her.

"You think you can stop me?" she sneered.

"Bonnie," Grams shook her head. The younger witch stepped aside and allowed the young girl to run into the tomb.

"Why did you let her go in?" Belle asked once she knew Anna was out of earshot.

"Because she isn't coming out. None of them are," Shelia said grimly.

"Damon's going to be stuck in there?" Belle whispered, placing a hand over her mouth.

"It's for the best, Belle," Bonnie said softly. She nodded but didn't look at anyone until Stefan came down the stairs. She pushed herself into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Where's Elena?" he asked, rubbing Belle's back.

"Damon took her inside," Bonnie answered.

"What?" he gapped and was about to go to run towards the tomb but Belle stopped him by not letting him move.

"They didn't remove the seal," she mumbled against his chest.

"Opening the door didn't remove the seal, it just opened the door," Sheila explained when Stefan looked confused, "Some seals keep vampires from entering. This one keeps them from coming out."

"Elena's human. She can leave. And Katherine can't. Damon can't," he listed off, "You were never planning on breaking the spell, were you?"

"I told you. I will protect my own. Elena can get out. That's all that matters," the elderly witch nodded. In that moment, Elena let out a scream. Stefan let go of Belle and ran into the tomb.

"Stefan!" Belle shouted but was stopped by Bonnie before she could follow after her friend.

"You can't just leave him in there, Grams!" Bonnie said, holding onto the now crying Belle.

"He made his choice!" Sheila shook her head.

"No," Bonnie picked up the grimoire, "Just show me what to do. I'll do it."

"We are not strong enough. Even if we were able to bring the seal down, there's no guarantee that we could get it back up again."

"You said it yourself, many things can fuel a witches power. Help me or I'll do it alone," Bonnie threatened. Moments later, Elena ran out of the tomb.

"Elena. Stefan..." Belle began.

"He's right behind me," the human shook her head and looked back and saw her boyfriend unable to get out, "Stefan, what are you doing?"

"It's gonna be okay. We'll fix it," Bonnie assured her.

"What is it?" Elena asked.

"I can't," he shook his head.

"Can't? Can't what?" she started to freak out.

"The spell's still up. We can't get them out yet," Bonnie explained.

"You went in there not knowing if you could come back out? Oh my God," she held her hand out to Belle who took it.

"I heard you scream," he gave her a small smile.

"We can't leave him in there. We promised him. Both of us," she remembered Damon.

"I know," Stefan nodded.

"Even if we're able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long," Sheila said. Stefan glanced back at her and was gone to find his brother. The two Bennett witches began to recite the spell.

"I think it's working," Elena said as she watched Anna exit with her mother. Belle held her hand in reassurance.

"I just wanted my mother back. Jeremy's fine. He's outside. I won't touch him," the smaller vampiress told Elena before leading her mother away. The torches began to falter as the spell began to break.

"Bonnie, keep going!" Sheila encouraged her granddaughter, "They better hurry."

"Stefan, they can't hold it much longer!" Elena shouted and looked frightened as the torches started going out. Belle disappeared into the tomb to find her boys.

* * *

The two brothers were standing at the end of the tomb. Stefan was still trying to get his brother out of there but he was too upset and confused.

"Damon, we need to get out of here," he said.

"It doesn't make sense. They locked her inside," he voiced his thoughts, ignoring Stefan.

"If we don't leave now. We're not getting out," he warned.

"How could she not be in here?" he asked.

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here. She's not worth it!" Stefan shouted.

"No!" Damon yelled. Belle suddenly appeared in front of him and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Damon! Please," she begged. He nodded, allowing her to lead him out of the tomb.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bonnie and Sheila Bennett were still trying to keep the door open. The spell was draining both witches but Bonnie was affected the most.

"Oh my God. I can't!" she gasped, feeling faint.

"Yes, you can," her grandmother encouraged her.

They continued with the spell and were relieved to see the three vampires run out of the tomb just in time. Elena was instantly in Stefan's arms, hugging and kissing him. Bonnie smiled and gave Belle a light hug, during which the vampiress muttered a 'thank you'. Everyone began to file out except for Belle and Damon.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered before embracing him. In that moment, every emotion he ever had for or because of Katherine came crashing over him. All the pain, loneliness, want and even happiness. He fell into a kneeling position, bring Belle with him. She just held him as tears began to fall out of his eyes.

"Shhh. It's okay," she soothed, running her fingers through his hair, "It's going to be okay."

"Why?" he croaked out.

"I don't know, Damon. I don't know," she whispered

* * *

A few hours later, Belle had finally dragged the depressed Damon back to the boarding house. Stefan had given her a concerned look but she motioned she would take care of him. She helped him undress and get into his bed. Just as she was about to leave, he grabbed her hand.

"Stay?" he pleaded and looked so vulnerable. Belle nodded and climbed into the bed with him. He pulled her close to him, cuddling her. A few hours later, she woke up to Damon getting back into the bed.

"Where did you go?" she asked, expecting him to say to the bathroom or for a drink.

"Anna," he answered hoarsely.

"What did she say?" Belle inquired, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Katherine knew where I was," he gave her a sarcastic smile, "Guess you were right all along, she really didn't care."

"I really wish I wasn't," she whispered, caressing his cheek.

"Why? I thought you would be happy," he rolled his eyes, "You get what you want."

"What I want for you to be happy, Damon," she muttered, resting her head on his chest.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," Belle answered before the two fell asleep again.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. Comments and critics are welcomed, flames are not.**

******Disclaimer: I do not own Vampires Diaries, or any of its characters or lines.**

******Happy Easter and Passover everyone!**


	10. Chapter Ten: A Few Good Men

**Chapter Ten: A Few Good Men**

* * *

Stefan and Belle walked in to see a strange sight. Sorority girls were dancing all around, half naked. Damon was feeding off one, completely wasted. Stefan squeezed his pseudo-sister's arm in comfort.

"How do I taste?" the girl giggled.

"Oh, so much better than your friends. But shh. Don't tell them. They might get jealous," he grinned. Stefan made his entrance and turned off the music, "Noooo! Buzzkill Bob!"

"Can we talk?" he asked his brother.

"Yeah," he shrugged, still holding on to the girl he had just been feeding from.

"Without the tri-delts," Belle announced her presence.

"Hello beautiful," he was suddenly in front of her, "Why don't we go have some fun?"

"You're upset. I'm not going to take advantage of your drunken upset state," she told him.

"I'm not too drunk," he pouted and tried to kiss her. She disappeared and reappeared beside Stefan.

"We need to talk," Stefan reminded him.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them. They're really good at keeping secrets!" he snickered but did as Stefan asked when he was given a look. The three stepped aside so they can talk alone, "You're worried about me. That's nice. Don't be. There's no need. I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be? I spent the last 145 years with one goal: get into that tomb. I succeeded! Granted, Katherine wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell? You know, it's so liberating not having a master plan, because now I can do whatever the hell I want."

"That's kind of what I'm afraid of," his younger brother mumbled.

"Relax. I haven't killed anyone in," he stopped to think but his head was too foggy for him to remember, "Too long."

"Those girls?" Belle raised her eyebrows.

"Will end up in their dorm with headaches, think they blacked out. Business as usual. Predictable you didn't pull me over here for a pep talk. So drink up. Spill it, brother," he said with a wink directed toward Belle.

"There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke."

"You wanna discuss the women in my past right now? Seriously?" he looked confused.

"You killed her," Stefan frowned.

"What's your point?" he rolled his eyes.

"I just—just wanna know if you remember anything about her," his brother sighed.

"Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan," he smirked before looking at the short redhead.

"Well, think hard. It's important," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Nothing is important, not anymore. Great chat. I have to go and exploit some women in the name of grief, which I'm sure you understand."TTFN", said the tri-delt," he let out a short laugh before walking back to the drunk girls.

"I'll clean up. Go talk to Alaric," Belle sighed and accepted the short hug he gave her.

"Belle!" Damon grinned happily when she walked over to him, his shirt now completely off.

"You know Damon, I'm awfully jealous you're giving all those girls attention and not me," she pouted. The drunken vampire pulled her to him and tried to kiss her but she turned her head, "Uh-Uh! Send them home and we can do _whatever_ you want."

"Girls!" Damon called and they all looked at him with drunkenly happy expressions. He went to each and every one to compel them, "Go back to your dorms. Forget what happened. All you remember is that you got drunk and blacked out."

"Good job," Belle grinned as the girls filed out of the boarding house, "Now that they're gone," Damon smirked at her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "Clean your mess and go take a shower."

"Belle!" he whined when she got out of his grasp.

"I told you I wasn't going to sleep with you," she shrugged and sat on the couch, "Now clean."

"Will you take a shower with me?" he asked hopefully.

"If you're sober," Belle told him after contemplating it.

"But being sober isn't fun!" he pouted.

"Then be drunk but you're going to be alone in the shower," she said nonchalantly.

"I miss you," he whined and sat down next to her. He placed his head in her lap and looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"We cuddled last night," she reminded him.

"I miss you," he repeated, "I miss my Belle."

"You are very drunk," she observed.

"I miss you," he said yet again, "I love you."

"Wha—?" she choked on her own words.

"I love you," he stared at her with confusion, unable to comprehend why Belle looked so shocked.

"Man, you'll do anything to get laid," she huffed and shoved him off her. He tumbled to the floor and watched her walk about.

* * *

"Damon is not stable right now," Stefan was saying when Belle appeared next to him and Alaric. The human jumped and stared at her.

"You're telling me," she muttered before looking at Alaric, "Sorry."

"You know, he murdered my wife, or at the very least made a meal out of her. When has he been stable?" the teacher asked, nodding at Belle.

"I'm telling you not to push this," Stefan warned.

"Give me a reason not to," Alaric threatened.

"How about your life? How's that for a reason?" Belle snapped, "Let it go for now."

"Is that what you'll tell Elena? Let it go?" he glared at the two of them.

"Leave Elena out of this," Stefan became protective of his girlfriend.

"I need to know what happened. I think you would, too," Alaric sighed.

"I need something more than just your wife's name. A picture, something I could show Damon," the vampire nodded. Alaric sighed and handed him a picture of his wife. The two vampires walked out of the room and headed toward Stefan's car.

"So what's wrong?" he said after a few moments.

"Nothing," she denied and tried to open the car door but Stefan refused to unlock it.

"What's wrong?" he asked again.

"Damon's so horny, he'll say anything to get me into bed with him," she answered.

"What did he say?" Stefan sighed.

"He told me he loved me," she huffed and tried to open the door again.

"Belle," he sighed again, "Ask him about it when he's sober. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"I'll check the Grill, you check home," Belle rolled her eyes and disappeared.

* * *

Damon was sitting down at the bar. Liz had just left after asking him to be part of the eligible bachelors they were auctioning off later. Belle spotted him quickly and sat down next to him. Just before he could take another sip of his bourbon, she stole it and drained it.

"Hey beautiful," he grinned.

"Come on, drunk boy," Belle grabbed his arm. He didn't move, just yanked her into his embrace, her back against his chest. Burying his face in her hair, he took a deep breath and inhaled her strawberry scented shampoo.

"Why don't you believe me?" he whined.

"You're drunk Damon," she answered.

"But I love you," he pouted.

"Let's go home. You need to sober up," Belle ignored what he had just said.

"I have a fundraiser I promised Liz I would go to," he informed her.

"I know, I heard," she said, "That's why we need to sober you up."

"Do you know that I am one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors?" he told her, "What does that make me? Dashing? Gorgeous? Irresistible?"

"Wrecked," she answered and tried to pull out of his embrace but he held her in place, "Damon, we should get you in a shower and put new clothes on. Maybe you won't reek so much of alcohol then."

"No," he wailed, "I wanna stay with you."

"You can stay with me," she sighed, "But I'm going home."

"Fine," he pouted and finally let go of her.

* * *

"Here," Belle handed Damon a new shirt after she hand forced him in the shower, "I'm going to see if Stefan's home."

"Stay," he begged, looking like a small child.

"I'll only be gone for a few minutes," she said before leaving. Minutes later, Elena appeared in his doorway.

"Stefan?" she called.

"Better. Me," Damon smirked and continued to attempt to button his shirt but was too drunk, "Help a guy out, will you? Can't get this."

"Still drunk?" she asked rhetorically before buttoning the shirt for him, "So I found out who my birth mother is."

"Ugh. Who cares?" he groaned before leaning in closer, "She left you. She sucks."

"Stefan. There you are," Elena glanced over Damon's shoulder. She finished buttoning him before going to her boyfriend.

"Uhh. I need a bigger jacket," he groaned again when his jacket didn't fit. He turned to Stefan with a bored look on his face, "Wow. You know, an occasional sorority girl might, um, you know, help fill you out a little bit."

Belle reappeared at that moment and gave Damon a look that clearly stated 'come here'. He walked away from his brother and his girlfriend while giving them a sarcastic two-finger salute. Grabbing Belle's hand, the two left for the fundraiser.

"He's fine," Elena said when they were out of earshot.

"He's Damon," Stefan argued.

"Maybe this heartache will be good for him. It'll remind him that he has one, even if it doesn't beat," she offered.

"Won't hold my breath," Stefan said darkly.

"So I went to see Trudie Peterson. I know. I'm sorry. I didn't plan it," she changed the subject.

"How was it?" he asked, holding his hand out for hers.

"She has vervain. She knows about vampires, Stefan. It can't be a coincidence."

It isn't. This is Alaric's wife," he showed her the picture that Alaric gave him.

"This is her. This is Isobel. He gave this to you?" she gasped, taking the picture from him.

"Everything he knows about vampires, he learned from her. He believes that she was killed by one," he nodded.

"Oh my god," she gasped again.

"Listen, Elena, there's a lot about Isobel that Alaric can tell you, but I need you to hold off a little while before you talk to him."

"Why?"

"I know that it's a lot to ask of you, but will you do that for me?" he asked, praying she would agree. She nodded and gave him a smile.

* * *

"Where'd my Belle go?" Damon asked as his brother got ready for the fundraiser.

"She's on her way to the grill with Elena. I, uh, wanted to talk to you," he said, and showed him the picture of Isobel, "This is the woman, Isobel, from North Carolina. Remember her now?"

"Who wants to know?" he questioned, taking a sip of scotch.

"I do."

"Who else wants to know?" he pressed.

"Did you kill her?" Stefan ignored his question.

"Sorry. Don't know her," he shrugged, "Hey, are you coming? The Real Housewives of Mystic Falls await."

"Wait," his little brother called to him. Damon turned and gave him a questioning look, "You said something to Belle this morning."

"And?"

"She's upset over it," Stefan decided to be vague, to see if Damon remembered, "What was it?"

"I told her the truth," Damon said nonchalantly, "She just doesn't believe me."

"Truth about what?" Stefan pressured him.

"How I feel about her," Damon answered, "Now we're going to be late if we don't leave."

* * *

Belle was sipping a martini when the Salvatore brother's arrived. Damon attempted to join her but Stefan steered him away. She noticed and gave him a grateful nod, unable to deal with this lying, clingy and drunk Damon at the present time. She managed to stay away from him until he suddenly appeared behind her.

"Hey beautiful," he smiled at her and held out a red ticket stub.

"What's that for?" she asked but took it all the same.

"For the raffle," he answered as if it was obvious.

"I didn't want one," she folded her arms over her chest, giving him an annoyed look.

"But I love you," he pouted.

"Shut up," she hissed and tried to storm away but he grabbed her arm.

"Why don't you believe me?" he asked, sobering up.

"Maybe I could have believed you a long time ago but now I know that everything you did, everything you said, was about Katherine," she answered and managed to free herself. He watched as she went up to Stefan and Elena. The former placed a comforting arm around her shoulders while the later shot him a glare.

"Bourbon on the rocks," Damon nodded to the bartender, "And keep 'em coming."

* * *

"And what do you do, Bachelor #3?" Carol Lockwood asked the man, now introducing bachelors about an hour later.

"Yeah, I'm a plumber," the man said sheepishly.

"Well, isn't that wonderful? We could always use more plumbers," she grinned at him, "Moving on. #4, 'Alaric Saltzman.' Wow. That's quite a mouthful. What do you do, Alaric?"

"I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls High."

"Oh, beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper. What do you teach?" she said.

"History," he smiled at the crowd.

"History. Oh, well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy," she grinned.

"Uh, well..." he began pulling at his collar nervously.

"He's probably saving the best stories for his date," Carol attempted to save him, "And last, but not least, Damon Salvatore. We don't have much on you."

"Well, I'm tough to fit on a card," he winked, obviously wasted.

"Do you have any hobbies, like to travel?" she offered.

"Oh, yeah. L.A., New York. Couple of years ago, I was in North Carolina, Near the Duke campus, actually," he said before turning to give Alaric a devilish grin, "I think—I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Rick? Yeah, 'cause I- I know your wife did. I had a drink with her once. She was—she was a great girl. I ever tell you that? She was—Delicious."

Elena gasped from her spot with Jenna, Stefan and Belle. She got up to leave, ignoring the confused and concerned looks from Belle and Stefan respectively.

"Are you ok?" her aunt asked.

"I just need some air," she sent her a fake smile before running out of there. Stefan followed her but Belle stayed put.

"Strange huh?" Jenna said once the two left.

"What's strange?" Belle asked, glancing up at the grinning Damon.

"Damon knew Elena's birth mother," she explained.

"Huh," was all Belle said, careful to keep a straight face around Jenna, "Such a coincidence."

"Did you know her?"

"No," she shook her head, "Why do you ask?"

"Damon and you are very close," she shrugged and the two went back to listening to Carol announce the winners.

"And bachelor number 3 goes to 37458."

"That's me," an older woman sighed.

"Ah. Kelly Donovan. Lovely. You and the plumber should have so much fun," the mayor's wife grinned, "Alaric Saltzman goes to 37649!"

"That's me," Jenna grinned sheepishly. Belle sent her a wink which made her blush as she went to get her prize.

"Congratulations. And Bachelor #5, Damon Salvatore. 37940," Carol called out.

Belle looked down at her ticket and sighed. Of course it was hers. She had no doubt in her mind that Damon rigged it.

Would you look at that. 37940. What are the chances," a husky voice said in her ear, "If I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to claim your prize."

"37940?" Carol called again. Belle shot Damon a dirty look before getting up.

"That would be me," she said to her before mumbling under her breath, "Unfortunately."

"I see your prize is already with you," she smiled flakily at her. Belle nodded with a fake grin of her own.

"Come on lover-boy," she mumbled before dragging him out of the Grill.

"Where are we going on our date?" he asked her, "It's my treat."

"We are not going on a date, Damon," Belle let go of his arm and sent him a withering glare.

"Why are you mad at me now?" he groaned.

"A multitude of things, Damon," she growled, "First and foremost: Stop saying you love me! Second: You killed Elena's mother and Alaric's wife then have the gall to taunt them! Third: as always, Katherine!"

"Will you stop being angry about Katherine?!"

"No!"

"Why?" he demanded.

"Because the second she came to this godforsaken town, you pretended that I never existed. I was your best friend! How could you do that to me?!" she shouted, "And then when she's finally gone, you come crawling back to me. But no, you're just bidding your time until you can get her out of some stupid tomb, where she belongs. When you finally realize she never loved you, you come crawling back again! I'm always going to be your second choice!"

"You've never been my second choice!" he argued.

"That's the only reason you turned me! You wanted company until your precious Katherine came back!"

"That's not why!" he disagreed, "I knew you'd be upset but I couldn't let you die."

"Why did you turn me, Damon? If you knew I was going to be this miserable, why the hell would you do it?!" Belle demanded.

"I couldn't lose you, Belle!" he yelled.

"WHY NOT?!"

"BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" he shouted.

"No you're not," she said in deadly soft voice.

"Katherine compelled me," he suddenly said, "She compelled me to forget how much I love you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly, "When you remembered, why didn't you tell me?"

"You had moved on with your life. Thought I was dead," Damon shrugged, looking down at his shoes, "When I turned you, you were still so angry with me. I didn't think you felt the same way."

"But I did," she responded, "Now I want nothing to do with you."

"Belle?" he finally looked up but she was gone.

* * *

Elena opened the door to a somber Belle a few minutes later.

"Do you mind if I stay the night?" she asked, looking sheepish.

"You can stay in my room," she nodded and let her in, "What happened?"

"Damon being Damon," she offered with a half shrug.

"Not to pry or anything," Elena said as they two headed to her room, "But I thought you usually just locked him out of his room."

"Yeah," she nodded and flashed her the key, "I just don't want anything to do with him right now."

"Understandable."

"I'm sorry about your birth-mother," Belle said, giving her a pat on the back.

"Damon being Damon," she repeated her sentiment with a half-smile.

* * *

**Hope you liked my tenth chapter of Beauty and the Demon. Reviews and critics are welcome, flames are not.**

******Disclaimer: I do not own Vampires Diaries, or any of its characters or lines.**


	11. Chapter Eleven: There Goes the Neighbor

**Chapter Eleven: There Goes the Neighborhood  
**

* * *

"I'm worried about Belle," Elena said as she and Stefan walked to History a few days later, "She's been sleeping at my place and refuses to have anything to do with Damon."

"She doesn't know what to do with Damon's whole confession," he shrugged.

"I still don't understand why he had to be drunk to tell her," she huffed.

"He'll never admit it but he's afraid of losing her," he sighed.

"Pretty sure he has," Elena mumbled.

"He hasn't," Stefan shook his head with a slight smile, "If she had truly left him, Belle would have gone somewhere far away. She's staying at your house, a place where both I and Damon frequent."

"But Damon hasn't come anywhere near my house," she glanced up at him.

"Bidding his time," Stefan answered, "He's waiting for her to come to him but he's impatient so he'll come soon."

"Can we add the words Damon and Belle to our list?" Elena groaned, "Sometimes I think they're more trouble than the vampires."

"I agree," he laughed.

* * *

Belle quietly opened the door to the Salvatore Boarding house. She had run out of clean clothes this morning and a few other things. Hoping Damon was off getting drunk somewhere, she stepped inside.

"Sneaking in your own home?" a voice said but it wasn't the one she thought it would be.

"Anna?" she paused and looked into the living room. The teen smirked at her and looked back at her amused mother, "Pearl?"

"Ever hear of knocking?" Damon snapped from behind Belle. She felt his hand grab her arm, making her stay in place. Other than that, he ignored her.

"An invitation wasn't necessary. I'm surprised that no living person resides here. Is it just you, Belle and your brother?" Pearl said elegantly.

"Yeah. How do you keep out unwelcome vampires?" Anna questioned.

"I kill them," he shrugged and was suddenly trying to strangle Pearl. The older woman just twisted his wrist and pushed him to the floor.

"Have a sit, Damon," she sneered, "I was hoping we could have a word."

"Sure," he grumbled.

"On that note, I'm just going to go," Belle said and started walking to the exit. Anna appeared in front of her.

"You should probably hear this too. Just in case your boyfriend decides to do something stupid," the teen laughed.

"He's not my boyfriend," she grumbled.

"Uh-huh," Anna snorted.

"We've taken up residence at a farmhouse just outside the town. It'll suffice for now," Pearl was saying.

"All 25 vampires?" Belle asked.

"Not all, some. I imagine that a few have already left town. Others are probably still in the woods or like us acclimating," she answered kindly.

"How did they get out of the tomb?" Damon questioned, looking at the two vampiresses.

"I think the witch screwed up that part of her hocus pocus," Anna shrugged.

"I understand from Anna that the founding families still have a secret council?" Pearl said.

"And you're a part of it," the raven-haired teen smirked.

"That's ridiculous," Damon lied and glanced at Belle for help. She just stared at the ceiling like it was more interesting than the conversation.

"I've been in Mystic Falls since the comet, Damon. I'm up to speed," Anna rolled her eyes.

"And so am I. And now that you've infiltrated the council, I'll need to know everything they know. Starting with a listing names of all the council members and their families," the oldest vampire looked at him thoughtfully.

"And everyone you've supplied with vervain," her daughter added.

"Yes, that will have to stop immediately," Pearl nodded.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve?" Damon scoffed.

"Mystic Falls is our home, Damon. They took that from us. Our land, our home. It's time we rebuild," she said sadly.

"What, are you crazy? It was 1864. Wake up woman. The world has moved on," he derided.

"As a reward for your help I'm willing to give you what you want most," Pearl offered.

"I want nothing," he rolled his eyes.

"Katherine," she stated simply. Damon's eyes widened and he glanced at Belle. She was attempting to pull her arm from Anna but the smaller vampire was too strong.

"You wouldn't even know where she was. You've been under the ground for the last century and a half," he said, folding his arms.

"Katherine and I were best friends long before we came to Mystic Falls, Damon. I know how she thinks, I know her patterns, I know where to find her," Pearl offered again.

"I no longer have any desire to see Katherine ever again. And there's no way in hell I'm gonna play the role of your little minion," he denied. Pearl got up from her seat and pushed the younger vampire against the couch.

"I'm not asking for your help, Damon. Finding Katherine was just a mere gesture of kindness. The rest is non-negotiable," she hissed before shoving her fingers into Damon's eyes, "I have four hundred years on you, little boy. I'll rip you from limb to limb without even blinking and you know it. I'll be in touch."

At that moment, she and her daughter left. Damon was groaning in pain on the floor while Belle was torn between helping him and running away.

"Belle?" he called out, "Don't leave."

She didn't say a word, just stood there. Damon, believing she had left along with Pearl and Anna, let out a sigh. Helping himself up, he stumbled to the bar. Because he couldn't see, Damon dropped a few glasses and some of his drink missed the glass. Any other time, Belle would have found it funny but at the moment, she didn't feel like laughing.

"She hates me," he groaned to himself and laid his head in the mess he had made on the bar surface, "I'm the biggest moron of the year."

"I wouldn't say that," she mumbled softly. Damon's head whipped up into her direction. His eyes had almost fully healed.

"Which part?" he snorted, "I'm not a moron or you don't hate me?"

"You're definitely a moron," she replied, her voice still soft.

"But you don't hate me?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"You should go take a shower, there's blood and alcohol all over you," she avoided his question, not wanting him to know that she never hated him.

"Yeah," he mumbled and started to walk past her.

"Damon?" she said quickly.

"Hm?" he glanced at her. And she was kissing him but the next second, she was gone.

* * *

Stefan knocked on the Gilbert's door with flowers in his hand. Elena opened the door, smiling brightly at him.

"You got me flowers!" she gasped.

"I figured it's a date, why not do it right? I would have driven too but you're the one with the car," he shrugged.

"You know, you think that for someone who was around when the car was invented you would have one," she teased, smelling the flowers.

"Oh, I have one. I just never drive it," he informed her.

"You know, it's not too late to cancel," she sighed and he followed her into the kitchen.

"Why we would do that?" he questioned, confused as it had been her idea to have a normal day.

"I don't know, it just seems surreal. Like maybe we weren't meant to get to the normal part," she sighed and filled a vase with flowers.

"That's exactly why we're going to do it. We're going to go out, have some fun and try to remember that we don't have to be so serious," he told her and placed his hands lightly on her arms, "Listen, when I decided to stay here and to get to know you, it so that I could do things like this. Bring my girlfriend flowers, take her out on a date, and try to be normal."

"Have you ever even been on a double date before?" she asked.

"Oh, absolutely," he grinned, "Damon, Belle, Katherine and I."

"What?" she stared at him.

"No," he laughed, "Belle and Katherine could barely stand to be in the same house together, let alone the same room."

"Katherine hated Belle?" Elena asked.

"I think she viewed her as…..competition?" Stefan shrugged, "Even though she made Damon forget about her, I always cared for her."

"Did you have a crush on Belle?" his girlfriend teased. Stefan knew that if he could blush, he would be.

"When I was a little boy," he nodded.

"Did you and Damon fight over her too?" Elena asked with a mocking grin.

"No," Stefan snickered, "Damon would tease me about it but we never fought over her. Probably because she would have killed us."

"I thought most girls loved to be fought over?" she finished placing the flowers in the vase and put it off to the side.

"One reason Belle hated Katherine was because she saw how Damon and I grew apart," he said sadly, "She watched us fight and do everything to get the girl."

"She loves you both very much. Doesn't she?" Elena leaned her head on his chest.

"And we both love her," he nodded before adding, "Of course, very different ways."

Elena laughed at his fumbling attempt to save himself but she was well aware Stefan and Belle were platonic. She kissed him to shut him up before dragging him out the door to their date.

* * *

Damon had attempted to find Belle after she had disappeared but she was nowhere to be found. His eyes, stinging in the sunlight, were covered by dark sunglasses. He sat down next to an older woman and ordered bourbon.

"What's with the glasses inside?" she asked him, clearly checking him out.

"My eyes were a little sensitive today," he shrugged, not paying much attention to her.

"You're new around here," she observed.

"On the contrary, I'm very old," he snorted at his own private joke and looked at the bartender, "Bourbon, neat."

"I haven't been gone that long. I would remember someone who looked like you," she flirted.

"Yeah. Where did you go?" he asked though his mind was somewhere else.

"Around, about," she sent him a flirty smile.

"I've been there," he nodded and spotted a familiar blur of red. He sighed, Belle was now avoiding him. Great. Fucking great.

"I love to see a man drown his sorrows. It's so sexy," she leaned forward, watching him take a long sip from his drink.

"It's more like nursing my wounds. And you?" Damon replied.

"I was supposed interviewing for the bartender job but I think the manager blew me off," she rolled her eyes.

"Well, that's not very nice."

"Yeah. Last time I was in town I slept with her boyfriend," she told him, almost as if she was proud of it.

"That's not very nice either," he said, staring down at his drink.

"It happens," she shrugged.

"Yes it does," he nodded.

"Kelly? Kelly Donovan?" Jenna gasped, announcing her presence.

"Jenna!" the woman shrieked and the two hugged.

"I heard you were back in town," Jenna said and turned to Damon, "She used to babysit me."

"And then I used to party with her," she laughed.

"This woman is crazy," Elena's aunt teased.

"Not as crazy as you," Kelly replied.

"I'm not anymore," she sighed.

"Well sit, drink!" the ex-babysitter shouted and patted the chair beside her.

"I shouldn't. I'm more responsible now. Haven't you heard?" she sent her a half-smile, obviously missing her party days.

"Well, take a night off its good for the soul," Kelly argued.

"Great for the soul," Damon raised his glass.

"This is not going to end well," Jenna warned but sat down anyway.

"Can't wait," he smirked and they all clicked their glasses together.

* * *

"Hid me?" Belle asked, unaware she was interrupting a double date.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked instantly worried for his pseudo-sister.

"Damon's been trying to find me all day," she whined, glancing over at the vampire in question. He was sitting with Jenna and Kelly Donavon, half-assing his flirting—clearly not caring at all.

"Lovers' quarrel?" Matt questioned and grunted when Caroline elbowed him in the stomach.

"Why does everyone believe we're dating?!" she asked rhetorically.

"Have you _seen _the way you act around each other? Or the looks you give the other one when you think no one's looking?" Caroline scoffed before clamping her hand over her mouth, "Sorry!"

"So, Matt, How do you like working here?" Elena immediately changed the subject when she saw Belle's annoyed look.

"It's not that bad. Wait staff is pretty good and they can't keep a bartender to save their lives. I actually put my mom up for a job," he told her.

"How has that been? Having Kelly back?" she asked.

"You know, same old Kelly. She's trying, sort of," he shrugged.

"Kelly and my mom were best friends growing up. That's how Matt and I first met, we shared a crib together," Elena explained to Stefan and Belle.

"You're kidding?" Stefan grinned.

"No, we have known each other our whole lives," Matt nodded before looking at Elena with a grin. Caroline sighs in annoyance.

"You got to be kidding me," Belle groaned and everyone followed her eyesight to where Damon was flirting with Jenna and Kelly.

* * *

"Don't be grumpy. It can't be that bad," Jenna rolled her eyes.

"You'd be surprised. My primary reason for existence has abandoned me; my best and only friend is avoiding me and after today's events, the remains of the shaky ground that I walk on are about to go kaboom," Damon groaned before smirking at his full glass, "Let's get hammered."

"Lets," Kelly said, looking at Damon like a lion looks at her prey.

* * *

"At least they're having fun," Caroline said sheepishly.

"They're drunk," Belle scoffed and looked at Stefan, "It's _your _turn to clean up after him."

"Maybe you should take him home," he said, giving her a look that clearly stated 'talk to him'. Belle glared at him but headed over to them.

"Remember when Elena's parents busted us here after the homecoming?" Matt grinned.

"Oh my god yes!" Caroline laughed.

"Well, we were wasted; it was the first time I ever got drunk. I blame Matt," Elena snickered.

"Her parents got seated at the next booth," the blonde boy began to tell the story along with help from Elena.

"And Matt had me pretend that I was choking so we could get away."

"Except that her dad was a doctor so he jumped up to save her."

"And I ran, slipped on the wet floor and bit it in front of everyone. Do you remember that? 3 stitches, a hangover for days and I was grounded from seeing this one," Elena looked at Matt, "For a week."

"I'm gonna go to the restroom. Elena?" Caroline said, interrupting the two's laughter.

* * *

"Hide!" Damon suddenly said as he spotted Belle coming over, "We're not here."

"Why? Where'd we go?" Kelly asked.

"Angry best friend," he explained before trying to hide himself by putting his hands over his head.

"Damn!" she cursed and turned to give Belle a fake smile, "Can I help you?"

"You can't," she stated before looking at the black-haired vampire, "But he can."

"Why?" she pouted, "We were having so much fun."

"Well, he's drunk enough to want to visit Cougartown," she shot at her.

"Well aren't you jealous, little Miss _Best Friend_?" Kelly snapped.

"That's my cue to leave," Jenna mumbled and turned to Damon, "Let Belle take you home. Kelly's not worth it."

"At least I'm not some floozy who has to hit on younger men because no one her own age wants her," Belle snorted before grabbing Damon's arm, "Come on, your brother wants you home and we need to talk."

"Maybe he wants to stay here with me," she shot Damon a flirty smile which he didn't return. Damon was completely wasted and he didn't understand what was going on. All he was aware of was Belle holding onto his arm and the two ladies fighting.

"Damon, let's go home," Belle's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Alright," he nodded and sent a flirty grin at Kelly.

"Bye Damon and _best friend_," Kelly called as they left.

"Bye _floozy_," Belle retorted.

* * *

"Damon," Belle said warningly when he placed his hand on her thigh as she drove to the boarding house.

"Belle," he teased.

"You are so wasted," she whined, "Why do I always have to deal with drunk you?"

"Because you love me," he laughed and slide his hand up, brushing against her inner thigh, "I like this dress."

"It's Armani," she responded, "You bought it."

"When?" he asked and started making circles on her inner thigh.

"Yesterday," Belle answered, her voice slightly higher as she tried to stop her body from reacting.

"It's a shame," he tutted seductively.

"A shame?" she asked, her voice hitching at the end as Damon's fingers brushed against her panties. Damon didn't respond, just let his fingers wander. The car jerked suddenly when Damon moved her panties so he could get better access, "Damon!"

"Yes, Belle?" he asked innocently.

"Not while I'm driving!" she squeaked. He pouted but removed his hand, "Thank you."

"Only because you're driving my car," Damon huffed.

"Wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious baby," she said sarcastically.

"Or my car," he smirked when she sent him a glare.

"Shut up," she snapped.

"Why are you mad at me?" he glared, "I didn't do anything!"

"Same reasons I told you the other day."

"You kissed me this morning," he pointed out, "Said you didn't hate me."

"Doesn't mean I'm not mad," Belle shrugged and turned into the driveway, "Besides, I want nothing to do with you anymore."

"Then why are you taking me home now?" he shot at her.

"Stefan asked me too," she answered simply, spotting the car.

"You were jealous over Kelly."

"Stefan wanted me to take you home. The faster I did that, the faster you would be out of my hair," she denied.

"You kissed me this morning. Did Stefan tell you to do that too?" Damon sneered. Belle just shot him a glare before getting out of the car, "Where are you going?"

"I'm not drunk enough to have this conversation with you," she shrugged and headed into the house. Damon followed her and watched as she downed a bottle of wine. But she didn't stop there. Belle grabbed another bottle of alcohol and started taking long gulps.

"Give me some," he grinned. She danced over to him, now drunk, and handed him the bottle.

* * *

Stefan, Elena, Matt and Caroline all come out from the garage to see a sight in the living room. Both Belle and Damon were jumping around, each with a liquor bottle almost empty in their hands. Belle was giggling as Damon chased her around. He finally caught her and pressed her against the wall.

"Now that you've caught me," she winked, "What are you gonna do with me?"

"I'm going to," he slurred, "going to do this." He leaned down and kissed her hard. Belle dropped the bottle she had in her hand and it smashed on the ground.

"Belle?!" Stefan gasped.

"Damon?!" Caroline gaped.

"God Stefan!" Belle groaned and sent him a drunken glare.

"Buzzkill Bob," Damon pouted and looked back at the little redhead, "Looks like the party's over."

"You got her drunk," his brother sighed and walked toward them, "Come on, Maybelle."

"Where are we going?" she asked innocently, grabbing his hand.

"Somewhere to make sure you don't do something you'll regret in the morning. Namely, my brother," he told her.

"I'll take her home with me," Elena nodded and took the drunk vampiress' hand.

"I guess we'll call it a night?" Caroline said and looked at Matt.

"Thanks, man," Matt looked at Stefan before leaving with his girlfriend.

"Come on, Belle," Elena smiled at her, "We are going to have a party of our own."

"Really?!" she asked excitedly and skipped to Elena's car. Stefan stayed back and sent his brother a disappointed look.

"What?" he slurred, "She's not mad at me anymore! And…..and it was her idea."

* * *

Stefan, after saying a short goodbye to Elena and Belle, entered the trashed living room. His older brother was picking up but still walked around drunkenly. He stared at him with a very annoyed look.

"Don't look at me like that," Damon whined.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed.

"Save the lecture. Look…" he started trying to explain but someone jumped through the window and was on Stefan in that moment.

His little brother groaned as he was stabbed by a piece of glass. Damon grabbed the man and pulled him off Stefan. They began to fight, trying to kill each other. Meanwhile, Stefan removed the piece of glass and is about to join the fight when another vampire appeared. She distracted him from helping his brother. Soon she gained the upper hand and threw him to the floor. He noticed a wooden chair beside him and ripped the leg off, stabbing the vampiress through the heart. In that moment, Damon sent the other vampire across the living room. He looked at Damon and Stefan and then looked his partner, who is now dead. With the blink of an eye, he was gone.

"Damn it," Damon cursed.

"I remember them from 1864. They were in the tomb," Stefan stared at his brother.

"Yeah... About that," he mumbled sheepishly.

* * *

**Hope you liked the eleventh chapter of Beauty and the Demon. Comments and critics are welcomed, flames are not.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampires Diaries, or any of its characters or lines.**

**I'm sorry I'm so late with this chapter, I had finals and I was behind in my other story, Some of These Days.**


	12. Chapter Twelve: Let the Right One In

**Chapter Twelve: Let the Right One In  
**

* * *

Belle woke up early in the morning and sat on the floor for a while. The sun had yet to rise and Elena was softly snoring in her bed. The rain was softly pounding on the roof. The redhead finally got up and opened Elena's window. She pulled herself onto the roof before closing the window. By the time Elena had woken up, the rain had soaked through her yellow tank top and grey pajama shorts.

"What are you doing out there?" she asked, poking her head out the window.

"The rain is soothing," Belle replied and ran a hand through her wet hair, "Thanks for last night."

"Well I couldn't let you do something you'd regret," Elena shrugged, "We're friends, right?"

"Yeah," she agreed with a small smile.

"And friends don't let friends sleep with the guy they're mad at," the doppelganger laughed, "Coming inside soon?"

"Yeah, I have to go to the boarding house later. Stefan texted me that there was an incident," she told her and noticed the worried look cross her face, "He's fine."

"Okay," Elena nodded and left her alone.

* * *

An hour or so later, Belle and Elena arrived to see Damon finishing boarding up the window. The vampiress ignored him and asked Stefan if he was alright. Stefan sent his brother a superior look before replying they were both fine. Elena snuggled against her boyfriend and listened to them retell the story.

"I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night," Damon said when his brother finished.

"Yeah. And then what? We turn to the rest of that house of vampires and say, 'Oops. Sorry?'" Belle rolled her eyes at him.

"I can't believe you made a deal with her," Elena added, giving Damon a disappointed look.

"It was more like a helpful exchange of information," he shrugged, "And it's not like I had a choice. She's... scary. Besides, she's gonna help me get Katherine back."

"Of course she is. Damon gets what he wants, as usual. No matter who he hurts in the process," the redhead scoffed and stormed out the door.

"You don't have to be snarky about it," he called after her.

"Shut up, Damon," Elena snapped at him.

"What's your problem?" he asked with an annoyed look.

"I woke up this morning to learn that all the vampires have been released from the tomb," she replied with an annoyed tone, "And now I have to deal with an upset Belle."

"How long are you going to blame me for turning your birth mother into a vampire?" Damon sighed.

"I'm not blaming you, Damon. I've accepted the fact that you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities. Sometimes I wonder if Belle got hit on the head as a child because she still cares about you."

"Ouch," he winced.

"This isn't being very productive. We're gonna figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the vampires," Stefan interrupted and looked at Damon pointedly. His brother nodded and left the room.

"Stay away from Belle!" Elena shouted.

"I can do what I want, Elena!" Damon replied. She tried to respond but her boyfriend stopped her.

"I'm sorry. He just makes me so cranky," she said softly.

"I know. He makes everybody cranky," he smiled lightly at her.

"So, what are we going to do?" she sighed.

"Belle, Damon and I are gonna handle everything, I promise," Stefan pulled her closer to him.

"Well, what about me? I can't just sit here and do nothing," she pouted.

"That's exactly what you're gonna do, because that's what going to keep you safe," he rolled his eyes.

"Which means nothing if you're not safe, too," she told him.

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly safe. I have Damon, the self-serving psychopath, and Belle, the miserable vampire, on my side," he joked.

"Well, that's comforting," Elena replied dryly, "Speaking of Belle, she is making this rainy day seem bright and happy."

"I'm sure you would too if you were in love with my idiotic brother," he retorted.

"Thank god I'm not," she snorted before looking somber, "I'm worried about her."

"She'll be okay," Stefan assured her, "I was thinking about taking her on a little trip, get her away from Mystic Falls for a week or so."

"Oh," she couldn't help but pout a little at the fact her boyfriend would be gone for a week.

"She needs it, Elena," he told her.

"I know," she sighed, "I'll just miss you."

"You won't miss Belle?" he teased.

"Honestly? If Belle, the miserable vampire, is gone when you get back, I'll be super happy," Elena grinned.

* * *

Elena found Belle sitting on the front steps on her house an hour later. On a whim, the human girl had decided to exit her house and saw Belle. She couldn't tell much but she was sure the vampiress had been crying.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked, sitting next to her.

"No, I'm being snarky," Belle snapped before storming into Elena's house. The brunette followed her and heard a phone ring. It wasn't hers so she assumed it was Belle's. The phone was thrown at the floor and she saw the ID was _Damon the Sexy Vamp_. The next second, there was a knock on the door. It was Damon and he pushed past her to find Belle in the living room.

"You're ignoring me," he glared at her.

"The 6 missed calls?" she asked innocently before adding dryly, "Sorry. My phone is dead."

"Is Stefan here?" Damon turned to Elena.

"No. Why? Something wrong?" she answered.

"He went out in the woods and didn't come back. I can't get him on his phone. I figured he was here with you," he shrugged.

"Well, he's not so you can leave," Belle told him.

"Will you stop acting hurt for one second?!" he yelled at her.

"Maybe I'm not acting," she snorted and stood up.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" he growled at her.

"I can't deal with this back and forth thing!" she snapped at him, "Made a decision already!"

"I don't have to right this second," Damon replied, folding his arms over his chest.

"Fine, I'll make it easier for you," she shrugged and walked out, "I'm leaving Mystic Falls."

"It's going straight to voice-mail," Elena said after a tensely silent moment, "Where could he be?"

"You're not going to like what I'm thinking," he responded, staring at the door where Belle just was.

* * *

"Call Belle," Damon said as they drove away from the house Stefan was now captive in by Fredrick. Elena nodded and pulled out her phone. On the third ring Belle answered.

_"Hey 'Lena. Did you find Stefan?"_

"The tomb vampires took him," she told her and there was an audible gasp from Belle.

_"How are we going to get him out?"_

"Damon and I are going to ask Mr. Saltzman for help," and there was a long pause before Belle spoke again.

_"I'll meet you there," with that, the line went dead._

"She's actually coming?" Damon sneered.

"Just because you're an ass doesn't mean she's going to take it out on Stefan," Elena snapped.

"Really? Because she's acting like a miserable brat," he scoffed, glaring at the road.

"She's confused, Damon," she snapped, "You keep going back and forth between wanting her or Katherine."

"Can't I have both," he grinned at her before stopping the car. Elena got out and slammed it as she gave him a dirty look that clearly stated no.

* * *

Alaric and Belle were already in the classroom by the time Elena stormed in with Damon following. The redheaded vampiress acted as if Damon was not there which seemed to annoy him to no end. The vampire, along with snarky remarks, explained to the teacher what had happened earlier.

"Stefan's in the house. Damon and Belle are vampires. They can't get in. We need you. I would go, but..." she started but was interrupted by Damon.

"But your life is valuable. Yours, on the other hand is..." he smirked.

"Stefan told us about your ring," Belle sighed.

"What about it?" Alaric glared at her.

"Let me recap...You tried to kill me. I defended myself. You died. Then according to my brother, your ring brought you back to life. Am I leaving anything out?" Damon replied with annoyance.

"Yeah. The part where I try and kill you again. Only this time, I don't miss," he retorted.

"Mr. Saltzman. Please. It's Stefan," Elena jumped in between them and looked at Belle for help.

"I'm sorry, Elena. But it's not my problem," her teacher sighed.

"That's a shame," Damon rolled his eyes, "Because the woman in charge of the crowd can help you find your wife."

"You're lying," he hissed.

" Am I? Why don't you ask her for yourself?" he shrugged and turned to Elena and Belle, "Coward. Come on, Elena and Belle."

"All right! Wait. I'll go," he sighed and went to pull out his arsenal of vampire weapons.

"Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night," Belle joked.

"I've your boyfriend to thank for that," Alaric rolled his eyes. Damon snorted when her mouth opened to deny it.

"What are these?" Elena asked, picking up a syringe.

"Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain," he explained and selected a few choice stakes and syringes.

"Just get me in. I'll get Stefan out," the raven-haired man said.

"That's your plan? You're just gonna take them all on yourself?" Belle scoffed.

"Well, I'll be a little stealthier than that," he gave her a look as Elena took one of the vervain darts, "Hopefully."

"Whoa. What are you doing?" Alaric asked her.

"I'm going with you guys," she replied as if it was obvious.

"No. No way," Belle shook her head.

"You need me. I'll get in. You could distract them, and then I'll get Stefan out," she agrued.

"You'll get yourself killed. You're not going in there," Damon disagreed.

"I'm going," the little human crossed her arms and glared at all three of them.

"So, when you get me in, get out as quickly as you can. I know how to sneak around where they can't hear me. You'll basically just be in the way," Damon ignored her and looked at Alaric.

"Damon, now is not the time to be the lone ranger," Elena snapped.

"Fine. Elena, Belle can come with me and you can drive the getaway car. You're not going in the house," he rolled his eyes.

"You can't stop me. It's Stefan we're talking about here. You don't understand," Elena pouted.

"Oh, I understand. I understand. He's the reason you live. His love lifts you up where you belong. I get it," the vampire mocked.

"Can you just not joke around for 2 seconds?" she scoffed.

"I can't protect you, Elena. I don't know how many vampires there are in there," he snapped his fingers, "That's how long it takes you to get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from...Including Stefan. I know. I get it. I understand," he glanced at Belle for a moment and hoped no one noticed. The only one who did was Elena who finally nodded.

"If we're gonna go, let's go," Belle sighed.

* * *

Belle and Damon were standing on the back porch in silence as they waited for Alaric to open the door.

"Are you going to ignore me forever?" he said, smirking at her.

"It's called self-preservation," she answered, staring at the door. Damon suddenly was in front of her and forced her to look at him.

"Don't," he hissed.

"Leave me alone," Belle tried to shove him away but he refused to budge. At that moment, Alaric opened the door with an older women standing at his side.

"Be careful," he whispered to her and let go of her and grinned at Ms. Gibbons.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's not allowed in the house," she said kindly.

"I know that. But you've gotta make an exception," Alaric begged.

"Get her out of the house. Now!" Damon ordered. Alaric shoved her out, "Miss Gibbons, tell me the truth. Are you married?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Parents, children, anyone else who lives on this property?" he asked.

"No. It's just me," she smiled at him.

"No? Good," Damon said and snapped her neck so he can now enter the house. Belle sighed and pushed past the two men.

"You were supposed to compel her," Alaric gapped.

"It doesn't work that way..." he replied and shoved him out of his way.

"She is human," he argued. Belle was suddenly gone, searching for Stefan.

"And I'm not! So, I don't care," he snapped, "Now, get out of here. And get rid of the body!"

* * *

Frederick came in the room to see a staked vampire in the dining room. Damon caught him by surprise and the two begin to fight. After a few moments, Damon got Frederick on the floor and started punching him. Suddenly two vampires came up from behind and pulled Damon off. Frederick disappeared while his minions fought with Damon. One of them monopolized his time and he did not notice the other approaching from behind. Belle tackled the vampire to the ground and quickly staked him.

"I'm going after Frederick!" he called to her before running down the hallway.

Another vampire ran in with Alaric on his heels. Belle jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground. He managed to overpower her and pinned her to the ground. He reached an arm up to punch her but Alaric stabbed him with a vervain syringe. Damon was back and stood in the doorway.

"Frederick's gone," he sighed.

"Let's get out of here," Alaric nodded.

"I'm gonna kill him," he growled and the three exited the house. They see more vampires approaching the house, "How many of those vervain darts do you have left?"

"One," he answered.

"Not gonna be enough," Damon said. At that moment, Pearl and Anna came home.

"So, what you said to get me to do this, about my wife. It was a lie, wasn't it?" the teacher pointed out.

"Yep."

"Stop. What's going on here? What did you do?" Pearl shouted and stormed over to the three.

"Me?" Damon scoffed, "Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing my brother."

"Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with," she nodded.

"Our little arrangement doesn't work unless you learn to control them," he snarked.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she replied.

"Well, it did. If I had a good side," he replied with an eye roll, "Not a way to get on it."

"Damon," Belle said warningly. He nodded and grabbed her hand (ignoring her protest). Alaric followed them back to the car.

* * *

Once they found Stefan and Elena, the five got in Damon's car and drive in almost silence. Belle had attempted to pull her hand away from Damon but he didn't let go so she let him. In the backseat, Elena fussed over Stefan while Alaric stared out the window aimlessly. By the time they had dropped Alaric off at the school, Elena had nagged her boyfriend so much that Damon yelled at her to quiet down. After that, the car was completely quiet. Elena was the next to be taken home and after, Stefan was the first to exit the car and enter the Salvatore Boarding House.

"Wait," Damon said as Belle attempted to get out of the car.

"Damon, I'm tired," she complained but he acted like she hadn't spoken. For a while, the vampire didn't say anything, just stared at their still entwined fingers.

"Want to go to dinner tomorrow?" he asked.

"For what?"

"A date," he let out a laugh and watched her reaction. Belle tried to keep her face devote of emotions but it betrayed her.

"I thought Pearl was helping you find Katherine," she said tauntingly.

"She's not," he rolled his eyes.

"So you're choosing me, over _Katherine_," Belle confirmed, giving him a suspicious look.

"Yes, Belle," he sighed in exasperation. After a moment or so of though, she finally answered him.

"I can't Damon," she said softly, pulling her hand out of his. With that, she bolted up to the room she had 'stolen' from him. Instead of following her, the vampire decided to go clear his head.

* * *

Damon had left Belle alone in his room for most of the night. By the time he had gotten back, Belle had already fallen asleep. He watched her for a few minutes before realizing he was hungry and went to the cellar. He found no blood in the freezer which was odd as he had just put some in earlier. The older Salvatore brother walked into Stefan's room, about to ask if he knew what happened to the blood. What he found was something he had not expected. Stefan was sitting in a pile of empty blood bags while sucking from another one.

* * *

**Hope you liked my twelfth chapter of Beauty and the Demon. Reviews and critics are welcome, flames are not.**

******Disclaimer: I do not own Vampires Diaries, or any of its characters or lines.**


End file.
